Rediscovery
by shootingstarx7
Summary: While in Forks in Breaking Dawn, the Volturi cornered Bella and Renesmee and had them killed. ...Or at least that's what the Cullens have been told... That's what they believe until Alice secretly finds a note-which she believes was written by Bella-with the address of a Chicago Prep School on it. Will the Cullens find any clues as to where Renesmee and Bella may be? Please R&R.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I don't own twilight, or any of its characters. **

** Hi guys! It's me, Sarah. Yes, this is a brand new story, hot off the presses. But don't worry. I haven't forgotten about "The Story Of Mercy Black." (I'm feverishly working on chapter 25, but I can't seem to get it down the way I want it to be-and I want it to be perfect! ) In the meantime, I really hope you enjoy this. It will most likely pick up quickly after this… Please let me know what you think about this, whether you love it or hate it!**

**Oh, and btw, Renesmee's name had to be changed earlier on in her life because of reasons that she, and you, will find out soon enough. =) …Enjoy!**

Chapter 1.

On the first day of my senior year of high school, I woke up in my beat-up mini-van in a strip mall parking lot all alone. The alarm on my phone began to buzz rapidly on the dashboard, effectively scaring the crap out of me, and jarring me awake all at the same time. My eyes opened.

At first, I was afraid, like any sane person would be.  
>Here I was, seventeen years old, on my own, in a sketchy, urban parking lot that for a second I couldn't remember falling asleep in. I had to sit up and think for a moment before it all came back to me. And when it did, I was overpoweringly relieved that I had woken up here instead of the Dowry household where I had been waking up every summer day since I could remember.<p>

See, early on, I was put into foster care. Supposedly I bounced from multiple homes all over the Midwest, but I can only seem to remember my unpleasant life with the Dowry family. And to be honest, believe you me, I don't mean to evoke any type of sympathy when I inform you that life with the Dowry's was like the story of Cinderella-except the fairy God-Mother never seemed to come for me, until one day when I was nine, when I discovered that an anonymous donor had paid my way through Hall Preparatory School in Chicago-one of the most prestigious boarding schools around.

Hall provided a great education for me, and a secure place to live, but it wasn't always easy. See, I hadn't been taught well in my previous schools, and added to my dyslexia, it seemed like it would be impossible for me to keep up with the classes. I had fallen so far behind when I was in the third grade that they had considered kicking me out of school. I had to work my butt off to stay afloat in school, but eventually I found success. And today was the first time I really realized that.

Now, as I gazed around the awakening strip mall, I smiled to myself.

I sat up and plugged the key into the ignition, and as I backed out my parking spot, I let my eyes linger momentarily on the twelve card-board boxes that were stacked sloppily on the two rows of seats behind me. The boxes contained every worldly possession that I had ever owned. I was proud whenever the thought of this came to my mind. These were things, that much like myself, had left the Dowry house for the very last time. I told them that I would be of legal age in about two weeks, and that I was leaving. Then I packed my bags and left, leaving them no time to argue with me, or threaten me, an activity I knew they found amusing.

Now, the boxes back and forth in the back of my beat up Grand Caravan as I weaved through the early morning Chicago traffic.

I hummed a simple melody that had been stuck in my head for a while as I drove. The rain was softly falling on the city streets in a calm, soothing drizzle. I always loved when it rained like that, and I really can't tell you why. There's just something about misty Chicago mornings that gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling in the pit of my stomach.

After ten minutes, I found myself turning left into Hall's very own parking garage. Still humming to myself, I drove all the way to the top-the place where students who commuted were allowed to park. Technically, since I was a resident, I shouldn't have been allowed a pass, but they allowed me one anyway because the faculty at Hall pities me.

The funny part about that is, that I could never remember why.

They all give me the same look every now and then. The same puppy-dog eyes. They all sigh, as if they are trying to imagine going through whatever it was that had happened to me. Usually, I just smile awkwardly, and thank them for letting me have some leeway. But on the inside, I'm frustrated with myself and the powers that be for not knowing why they treat me this way.

I grabbed two of my boxes from behind me, stepped out of the car, and slung my pine-green backpack over my shoulder.

I had parked on the fifth floor, right next to the elevator, even though I never intended on taking it. Elevators are my worst fear, believe it or not. In fact, they are the only piece of the puzzle that I possess pertaining to my past. The only thing I remember about my life before the Dowry's was waking up, trapped in a broken elevator between floors, alone, cold, and bleeding profusely from a wound in my neck, where a bullet was lodged.

I fainted when I realized the bullet was still there. The next thing I recalled was waking up in the infirmary at Hall Preparatory School before being notified that it would become my new (and only) home.

At the bottom of the stairs, I turned right and walked down Dalton Street, with the front doors of my dorm in sight. I waved to some of my acquaintanced classmates as I walked, along with complete strangers who knew my name, and had the courtesy to smile and wave anyway.

I smiled at my guidance counselor, Amy Tyler, as she tossed me the key to my dorm room, which hung on a purple Hall School lanyard with my name silk-screened onto it. "Nice to have you back, Vanessa," She said with a smile.

"Always nice to be back," I replied, letting the key fall right on top of my boxes. Then, I climbed the stairs until I reached the thirteenth floor.

Mrs. Tyler-out of pity for me, of course-offered to change my dorm assignment to something that was closer to ground level, but I didn't let her. See, I have this obsession with the number thirteen. I was born on the thirteenth of September. I think it brings me luck. So living in room 1313 at Hall for the past ten years was a great thing for me, considering how paranoid I'd always been of life in general. I took it as a sign that told me Hall was the right place to be.

I swung the door open, and found two other boxes stacked neatly in the corner. My new roommate had already been here. I felt butterflies in the pit of my stomach.

Moving in wasn't the hard part for me, that was always easy. I'd just always had a hell of a time trusting new people who come into my life for obvious reasons.

I set my box on my bed and gazed out the window at the view. I jumped when the door swung open behind me.

"H-Hi," I said to my new roommate.

"Um, Hello," She said, staring at the room assignment card she had received in the mail. "Are you Vanessa Madison?"

"Yes," I said with a faint, nervous grin, "Yes, I am."

**A/N: So… did you like it? Please let me know! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, it means a lot! -shootingstarx7**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I don't own twilight. I do own some rather delectable Wintergreen Mints that I might just be addicted to. **

** Here's a new chapter. I really hope you enjoy this! Please review whether you liked it or not! ( =) means that you liked it. =I means that it was okay, could be better. =( means that it wasn't that great…) Thank you very much! =) **

Two.

"Yes," My roommate said, clearly startled by the way I'd sneaked up on her, "Yes I am," She added, running her fingers over her long coppery braid that somewhat reminded me of the way my brother Edward's looked.

"Uh," She continued unsteadily, as she opened the box she had just set on her bed, "Everyone just calls me 'V,' though," She said, "You know, for short."

She looked at me closely, closing her eyes, and then opening them again. "What's your name?" She asked me shyly.

"Alice," I said, excitedly extending my hand to her. Hesitantly she took it. "Don't worry, I won't be staying here often. My family lives in Chicago, so we got permission to commute."

Her eyes grew big. "But no one _ever _gets permission to commute," She replied, "How did you swing that?"

I chuckled lightly, and shrugged, pretending that I didn't know how charming Carlisle could be, and that this was the reason why we had gotten permission to not be locked down in a dorm room. However, we would have to stay at least a few nights in the dorm, to keep from raising suspicion. I knew I would grow to dread those nights. But now as I saw how harmless and kind my roommate seemed to be, I began to reconsider.

There was something about her that wasn't right. I pondered this as I watched her leave the room for more of her boxes. She didn't seem out of the ordinary from just looking at her. It was something in the way she moved, or maybe the way she breathed, or was it her heartbeat? I was frustrated from not being able to put my finger on it. I made it my personal mission to find out what was wrong with her.

I drifted around the room, taking it all in. I gazed at the view-or lack thereof-from the window. The only thing that was visible from it, was the ugly brick building that sat next door, and a construction site, where a new building was to be built. Ten minutes had gone by, and I was becoming strangely apprehensive, when Vanessa burst back into the room.

She was sweating profusely as she set the next two boxes down on her bed. She wiped her brow, and patted her red face with the bottom of her Chicago Cubs T-shirt, and sat down for a moment to catch her breath. Her heart was thumping wildly. Almost too wildly. In fact, I had never heard a heart beat like that.

I slowly crept toward her, still looking around. Before I knew it, I was standing in front of her. "So, V," I said, using the nickname that she had directed me to use, "Where are you from?"

She laughed once, nervously. "All over," She replied, her face turning redder, "But up until recently I've been living in a suburb right outside of Chicago. When I'm not here, of course,"

"Your parents must move around a lot," I assumed.

"They're not my parents," She snapped, quickly back at me.

I folded my hands together, and took a breath, figuring that it might be the amount of time she needed to cool down. And sure enough, I had been correct.

"I'm sorry," She said quietly, "I just have a tough time with that kind of thing. I don't really have parents. I was placed into foster care when I was six, and that was kind of it for me."

I couldn't tell if this girl was telling the truth, or painting a façade. I only smiled at her, as she stood, and headed for the door once more. I stood up with her, surprising myself, and followed her to the door. "Do you want any help?"

She shook her head, and began to form the word "no," but I wasn't going to let her off the hook that easy. "I insist," I told her with a smile, and after swallowing, she led the way out. She led me outside, and proceeded to the stairs. As she was opening the door, I stopped, and she turned to look back at me, confused.

"Why don't you just take the elevator?" I asked her quietly. It seemed like the logical thing to do. She was only human after all.

She brought her hand to the left side of her neck, almost defensively. "I-I don't really like elevators," She explained quietly, "I never have. I'd just rather take the stairs."

She began descending the first of 13 flights. I followed after her like a lost puppy. "But why?" I asked her, as we reached the 12th floor's landing. She took a deep breath, and brought her hand back up to her neck.

"I'd appreciate it if we didn't talk about it," She said politely, and continued to fly down the stairs, picking up speed as she went. Obviously, I had no problem keeping up with this strange girl.

After we'd gone down 13 flights of stairs, and walked a block to reach the parking garage, I walked close enough to her to realize that there was something on the left side of her neck. It was a large scar that was shaped like a half-moon. The largest portion of it could have fit a quarter. I didn't decide to ask her about it until we began to tread up the five flights of stairs that led us to where she parked her car.

"What's that on your neck?" I asked her, causing her to groan in response.

"You know, your questions are getting really annoying, Alice," She muttered, covering the scar on her neck once again.

"There you go again!" I exclaimed, "You keep covering your neck!"

She ignored my observation, as we had just stepped in front of a heavily dented old, rusted, purple Dodge Grand Caravan. She unlocked the doors. "This is your car?" I asked her.

"No," She said sarcastically, "I just found the keys on the way up the stairs, and decided to break in,"

"Funny," I retorted. This wasn't at all what I expected this place to be. When I had gotten that note, I'd assumed that I would discover something significant regarding the whereabouts of Bella and Renesmee. You see, I am the only one who still believes that they are alive, and I'm the only one who has ever seen the note.

It was left on the bookshelf in mine and Jasper's room. I found it one night in a copy of Wuthering Heights, which had somehow moved itself out of the bookshelf and into my closet. When I opened it up, there it was. The address to this school was written, in what I believed to be Bella's own handwriting.

But what exactly did she want me to find?

Reluctantly, I grabbed two of Vanessa's boxes, and she shook her head. "You don't have to take two," She insisted politely, "Really,"

"I don't mind," I said truthfully. These boxes were like feathers in my hands.

"I'm not taking one while you take two," She said firmly, "They're my boxes. I'd feel bad."

"Why are you only taking one?" I asked her.

"There were only three boxes left," She explained, taking the heavier box from me.

"Only three?" I asked, "You mean, you only packed five boxes?"

"I only _could _pack five boxes," She replied with a sigh, as we began to walk down the five flights of stairs in the parking garage. "It's all I have to my name."

**A/N: A PLOT REMINDER: The only reason why Bella and Renesmee were believed to be killed is because a fight broke out, since Alice, Jasper, Nahuel and Hulien did not arrive on time to save them. This means that Alice has never seen Renesmee before coming to Hall.  
>Thank you for reading! I'll update soon. –Shootingstarx7<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey everyone. I know it's been a while. Things have been CRAZY! I'm deeply sorry for taking a hiatus from all of my stories for much too long. I am working diligently to catch up, and make up for lost time, as I know first hand how frustrating it can be when an author leaves you hanging on a cliff!  
>I hope you enjoy this chapter…And stay tuned!<strong>

Three.

Alice made sure to make a point about how pathetic my five boxes of belongings were, and to pity me for it. I was sure that she didn't mean to aggravate me so much. She most likely didn't even mean me any harm. With that said, I was still one step from the edge. I decided that I needed to leave the dorm and escape to somewhere before I did something I would regret later on.

After I was done unpacking my five boxes, I folded them up and slid them underneath my bed. I was yet to make my bed, but I figured that I had all the time in the world before bedtime, since there were no classes until next week, so I could just put it off until later.

"Um, Alice?" I said, my voice trembling slightly. It's not that I was afraid of her, because I wasn't. I _was _afraid of the weird feeling I got whenever she was around. It was kind of like Déjà vu, except I knew for a fact that I had never seen Alice before in my entire life.

"Yes, Vanessa?" She asked in response. I flinched at the sound of my full name. I _hated _when people used my full name. I merely shrugged it off, however. I didn't want to get into one of my infamous arguments on the very first day of school. Especially with Alice, who freaked me out.

"I'm leaving," I said, "I mean, I'm going out for a bit. I'll probably be back later."

"Where are you going?" She asked me, her eyes narrowed suspiciously, as if she were the mother that I never had. Chills ran up my spine.

I hadn't thought about that. "Uh, you know," I said, as the chills subsided, and she smirked. "I have to check on my friend Melissa," I explained rather smoothly, "She usually has a tough time moving in." I prepared for the worst, despite how I did tell the truth. I was ready for her to follow me out the door, or fire a million questions at me. Surprisingly, she restrained herself.

"Have fun," She said in a bored tone, seeming suddenly uninterested in me, or anything I was up to. I shrugged, but with a smile on my face, and left my dorm room. The minute I stepped out of the room can only be defined as a breath of fresh air.

I held my breath until I was fully outside the room, with the door shut. I took a deep breath, as I began to journey down the hallway toward the staircase in order to calm my out of control heart beat. I couldn't put my finger on it, but something about Alice scared me. Immediately after thinking this, I recoiled. I didn't even know Alice. How could she already have such an effect on me?

I was out of my mind.

I flew down four flights of stairs, passing the empty supply closet where Quentin and I used to hang out when we didn't want to go to class. I wondered if the Beatles poster he got me for my birthday last year was still hanging on the wall, I hoped it was. It was the only remnant left of the best birthday I'd ever had…well, besides the engagement ring that was given to me along with it.

Fond memories of our past together, before he graduated and left for UCLA, flitted through my mind. That time in the eighth grade when he asked me to go to the winter formal with him, and I agreed. The day I became his girlfriend when I was fourteen. Our first kiss. Three proms. Countless love letters thumb-tacked to the corkboards which hung on our dorm room doors. Those days when we'd sit in the supply closet, just talking and playing scrabble for hours… My heart ached as I thought about how far away he was right now.

I stopped short before the door. I had to go inside. I looked both ways. The coast was clear. Slowly, I swung the door open, and flicked the light on. I jumped about a foot in the air, when somebody who I didn't recognize let out a gut-wrenching scream.

I shut my eyes almost instinctively, as another voice, a male voice, pierced through the tension. "V?" It was a familiar voice. This was impossible. How could he be here? He was supposed to be in college in Los Angeles right now. I didn't want to believe what I was hearing, but I opened my eyes anyway. "It's not what it looks like," Quentin Anderson, the man I was supposed to marry upon graduation murmured as he placed his hand on my shoulder.

I snarled and turned my back. I couldn't believe what I had just seen. I flew down more and more flights of stairs, Quentin tailing me, as tears flooded my eyes. "V!" He shouted from behind me, "You don't understand! It's not what it looks like!"

When I had finally run out of stairs, I pushed through the double doors and into the school lobby. Quentin's hand grabbed me by the shoulder. I turned, and faced him after I viciously tore it off of me. "Don't you ever touch me again!" I shouted, my voice breaking. I could feel my face turning red, along with the many pairs of eyes that I realized were now staring at me as well.

"Vanessa," Quentin said, "I swear, I would never do anything to hurt you. I love you, V. You didn't see what you thought you saw,"

I shook my head sharply. "I know what I saw, Quentin," I replied firmly, "Th-this can't work," I blurted out, tears running down my cheeks, "You and me. We both know it, Quent. Why don't you just go back to California, and I'll go to NYU…"

"V," He pleaded once again, "Come on, you're being ridiculous."

"You're right," I said quietly, as I turned my back. I was ridiculous for trusting him, and getting engaged at seventeen and thinking that everything was going to work out for us, and we were going to ride off into the sunset together. "Goodbye, Quentin," I whispered before I walked away.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:. I'm flattered if you are under the impression that I am brilliant enough to own Twilight. Unfortunately, I do not own Twilight.  
>Before you read, I'd just like to address something regarding the POV of each chapter. I am aware that the fact that I don't disclose whose point of view I am writing in may be confusing to readers, but nevertheless, I do it anyway. I don't do it for fun, I just do it because I believe it gives my story a mysterious effect. However, if you are having trouble, from now on I will post whose POV it is in a followup author's note at the end of the chapter. :] (Thank you so much for the feedback! :])<br>Now that we've got that covered, here's the next chapter. **

**Four**

High school had to be the low point of my century of existence. Sometimes I wish I could remember what it was like the first time, and if I enjoyed it any less than I did the next fifty times. Moving so quickly had aggravated everyone except for Alice: who seemed to strongly believe that this school was going to bring my wife and daughter back from the dead.

I cringed when I thought of them in that way. It felt like a painful blow to the stomach. I decided to focus my attention on the task at hand, moving these boxes into my dorm room (I cringed at the thought of that as well), despite how it didn't require much, if any, focus at all. Actually, rarely anything in this existence requires focus. Most things were just tedious, frustrating, annoying, or all three at once. This was something I learned over the past decade, while I lived in the thick haze of wishing I wasn't alive.

When we had first realized that they were gone, Jacob and I went into frenzy. We argued over who would kill whom first. We wrecked nearly everything within a three mile radius-trees, cars, large boulders... until decided to run in different directions and forget that anything ever happened in the last few years, but ended up crossing paths by mistake after a couple of days, blinded by our mutual anguish. That was when something changed between us, and we were no longer enemies under a forced truce. We had become… allies, perhaps even friends due to the fact that no one could understand our pain better than each other.

…Except for Jasper. He was dealing with his own pain over the horrific ordeal with the Volturi, and added to the pain of eight others, it was too much for him to handle. He and Alice chose to leave temporarily once more, until some of the pain subsided. Only a few months had passed before they returned, realizing that subside partially was all the pain would ever do… It could never vanish completely.

That was when we left Washington for good. We didn't move to New Hampshire like we'd planned, since we all knew that would just make the pain worse. Instead, we found a small, cold, dark town in Northern Canada which was in desperate need of a doctor with Carlisle's credentials. We stayed there for five years or so before we moved to a small town in northern New York.

There was a quiet, unspoken hope in the minds of each member of my family that yearned for a place that would fill the hole that the Volturi had bored for us a decade ago. Our desperate wishes were never fulfilled. The changes in location did not serve to diminish the pain, or cause the bittersweet memories to disappear.

Slowly, I slipped through the double doors at human speed. I believed there was no one around…Until I heard it. It was…a heartbeat. But it wasn't a normal heartbeat. I had never heard anything like it, except…

Impossible.

I chuckled darkly to myself as I continued down the hallway, convinced that I'd reached a whole new level of insanity. I heard a sharp intake of breath, and a pained sob penetrate through the door of a closet beside me. I stopped walking. I didn't know what it was, but I could hear its breaths, its strange heartbeats, its sobs…but I could not hear its thoughts.

I hesitated, as my hand hung over the doorknob threateningly. In that moment, I was contemplating two things: why I cared so much, and what I had to lose. After a split second of in-depth deliberation, I slowly pulled the door open.

Once one passes the age of one hundred, things usually do not come as a surprise. But what I saw sitting behind the door made my jaw drop in awe. At first, all I could see was an unruly mane of hair which matched my own precisely. Then she raised her head, and I was taken aback. Her chocolate brown eyes were tearstained and her face was bright red. At that instant, I knew this was my daughter. She looked exactly the same as when I'd seen her last, except older, wiser, worn.  
>Though joy pulsed through me at the sight of her, I was deeply pained when I remembered that I had missed her entire childhood.<p>

But what was she thinking about? What had upset her? And why couldn't I read her thoughts? "Renesmee," I breathed quietly.

Her eyes narrowed in confusion, and she blinked. She shook her head at me once. "What did you just say?" She asked this in a quiet voice, one that I could already recognize.

I felt a sickness in the pit of my stomach that I never knew I could feel. My own daughter couldn't recognize herself. My own daughter didn't even recognize her own father. I shook my head in utter dismay. I would have been deeply disappointed, if mere disappointment could cover what I was feeling right at this moment.

"I asked what your name was," I lied convincingly, half-heartedly. She wiped her eyes with the collar of her shirt.

She was easily fooled in her vulnerable state. "V," She replied. For a moment, I was wondering if I'd heard her correctly. It was ironic to find that such an extraordinary, gifted girl would opt to go by such a plain, simple name. It wasn't even a name. It was just one letter…

I nodded in acknowledgement, fighting to keep my composure. "Let me help you up," I didn't give her the option.

She bit her lip and shook her head. She was so…so… _Bella. _I felt like I'd been punched in the gut, just from the mere reminder. I'd just poured salt into the rest of my wounds. She pulled herself onto her feet, with only a hint of her mother's clumsy nature.

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed this installment! If you guessed that this was Edward's POV, you guessed correctly, and you have just won a brand new car! …Just kidding. I wish this story was that cool. Anyway, let me know what you think! :] –shootingstarx7**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:. Here is another chapter. I really hope you enjoy! I definitely enjoyed hearing from everyone via reviews! It's always a good time! **

** I still don't own twilight. (Surprise, surprise)**

** I hope you enjoy this chapter! Let me know what you think :]**

Five.

I flung myself onto my feet, practically falling into the arms of the stranger who had just found me crying…As if I wasn't embarrassed enough by this whole ordeal. He laughed quietly. Laughed at me! I wasn't sure exactly what he found so funny. But I guess crying in a closet, and being physically unable to balance on a flat surface was naturally hilarious.

"You don't have to walk with me," I reminded him bitterly as I took two steps toward the stairs which lay directly ahead of us. He laughed again, and I could feel my face burning red with anger.

I looked up at him, and at the sight of my expression, he let out another chuckle. I was steaming now, and he knew it. "I'm aware," He replied, "I thought I would walk with you back to your room," He explained, "Just to make sure you don't trip and fall down the stairs,"

I swallowed. Was my clumsiness that obvious? "Very funny," I muttered. That was when we reached the stairs. I lunged for the door, but the stranger had pushed it open before I could even touch it. I stumbled for a few steps, catching myself in the nick of time saving myself from plummeting down a flight of concrete steps. My heart was beating out of my chest.

I was surprised beyond belief that the stranger hadn't gotten a kick out of this one. Instead he rushed to my side, his face flushed with a kind of concern that I faintly recognized from somewhere, but could never recall a specific time when I had witnessed this myself. "Are you okay? I should have held you back," He blurted quickly, protectively. I backed away from him shook my head sharply, and covered my face.

"Why are you crying again?" He asked suddenly, in a soft, worried voice. I hadn't even realized that tears were streaming down my face in the first place, much less known he reason for them. I pulled my hands away from my face and took a deep breath.

"I-I'm…" I trailed off. I wanted to tell him that I wasn't used to receiving sympathy or concern from strangers, or anyone really. I wasn't used to crying in front of anyone, or even at all. But I just took another breath, and sat down on the first step.

"You can talk to me," He told me quietly. Something in the deepest confines of my soul told me to believe him. I cradled my head in my hands. I felt something cold touch my shoulder. I realized that it was his fingertips, comforting me.

I looked up at him, and squinted, swearing that I recognized him from somewhere. Maybe it was his hair, which it was the same weird color as mine, or his skin that was the same translucent shade. But something made me think it was his eyes, though I can't put my finger on a time when I'd ever seen anyone with golden eyes… Or at least that's what I think.

"I had it all figured out," I began, before choking on my tears. When I could breathe again, I continued. "I had a plan. I would move out, and graduate, and go to UCLA with…" I began to sob uncontrollably. Unexpectedly, I gravitated into the stranger, allowing his arms which felt strangely similar to granite, encompass me.

I pulled away, staring at my naked hand. "I was engaged to be married," I breathed, looking down. "And he l-left me," I gasped for enough air to continue, "And when he c-came back today, after a year of wondering what he had been up to, I walked in on him with another girl," I broke down again, expecting the stranger to judge me.

Instead he stayed silent, and held me as I cried. He waited to speak until the flood had ceased and the silence had ensued. "What are you thinking?" He asked me.

I decided to be honest. "I feel terrible for laying all of my problems onto a stranger," I told him, "And I'm assuming that you think I'm a nutcase now,"

He shook his head. "I don't believe you're a nutcase," He assured me, "You have a right to be upset,"

"I'm not used to being this much of a train wreck," I stated firmly before stifling an uncontrolled sniffle. It was the truth. I never really had the opportunity to really be upset. If I had, I probably wouldn't have lived this long.

He was quiet for a moment, as if he were mentally planning the correct way to continue this conversation without breaking me in the process. "What makes you think that you're a train wreck?" He asked me. I could tell that he'd chosen his words carefully.

I shrugged. "Everything's just…" I paused, trying to select the best word I could think of. But although my mind morphed into a virtual thesaurus, I still couldn't come up with any special, accurate portrayal of the way I felt and why I felt that way. "_wrong," _I finally spat out, in a quiet tone.

He was still. I ran my fingers through my hair as I wondered what _he _was thinking of. I sighed. "I wish I could just _show _you," I suddenly began to explain, without rhyme or reason. His eyes grew wide with a fearful kind of surprise. It startled me, but I continued. "I've always had a problem with words,"

There was a fire in his eyes which made me feel like he had something that he wanted to show me too somehow. He took a long look at me, like I was someone who had gotten lost in his past. "What _happened _to you?" He asked me quietly, gently in a sad tone. His eyes were still piercing through mine. My heart skipped a beat.

"W-what do you mean?" I whispered.

"You look broken," He noted. I bit my lip as unwanted tears welled up in my eyes. He reached out his hand and brushed my hair off of my shoulder. "Where did you get those scars?" His cold hand traced them on my neck. I shuddered, and he pulled his hand away quicker than lightning.

I stood up, and began to ascend the stairs. He quickly followed, although I wished he hadn't. I was crying again. "I'm sorry," He said quietly, "I didn't mean to bring back any bad memories,"

"You didn't bring back _any_ memories," I muttered under my breath, positive that he could not hear me.

"Why not?" I jumped when he replied. How the hell did he hear me from half a flight below? I began to shake again. There was definitely something wrong with this guy…

"B-because I d-don't remember anything before…" Before I woke up trapped between floors with a bullet in my neck in a dark elevator, was what I wanted to say. I had never told anyone about that, ever. But instead of verbalizing my feelings, I just gripped my neck with my hand, covering my half-moon shaped scar, and let the stranger walk me to my room in silence.

**A/N: This was in Nessie's point of view. So if you got that, you are awesome. Thank you for reading and reviewing! I'll try to post another ASAP! –shootingstarx7**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:. I still don't own twilight. **

** Hey everyone! Here is another chapter. Today was my last day of high school so I am finally free to do as I please! (Well, beside finals, and graduation rehearsals and senior week…but whatever..) **

** Our favorite family has just begun their year of high school, however. And I'll keep updating as long as you keep reading! :]**

**Six. **

Jasper was becoming nervous.

I could almost feel it radiating off of him as he watched me pace back and forth across the small room in my frustration. I glanced at him briefly, and caught his worried expression. "Nothing?" He asked me quietly.

"Nothing," I confirmed, throwing my hands up in the air, and back down again as I changed direction once more. I had been fighting blindness all day now, and I couldn't find the source. I'd forgotten how maddening it was to feel a vision coming on, and to only slip into blackness. I hadn't felt this way since Bella was pregnant.

Suddenly, I watched him flinch out of the corner of my eye. I darted to his side, and reached him in approximately a thousandth of a second. "What happened?" I blurted quickly, my eyes wide, watching his face shift into various perplexed guises. He didn't answer at first; he only shook his head as if he were still trying to figure it out for himself.

"Someone…" He whispered articulately, "Who is feeling very… strongly… caught me off guard," I watched him as he struggled to keep his composure, and laid a hand on his shoulder. I hated watching him battle the emotions of others, especially when they caused him pain as well. His head snapped up quickly when he caught Edward's scent, and heard it…

His eyes narrowed, and he brought his hand to his temple."_What…?" _He trailed off in his confusion. I shook my head and shrugged. I really wished I had seen this coming. It would have made things a lot easier.

Silently, I glided back to the window, and waited for them to arrive. I listened closely, examining the situation, actively comparing the two of them. Between them, there was the one wild hummingbird-esque heartbeat, which obviously did not belong to my brother. I could easily separate Edward's lithe, swift footsteps, from the clumsy, uneven steps of the owner of the strange heart as they came closer and closer…

Jasper and I were not the least bit surprised when the door swung open. In fact, I watched him brace himself in preparation. Edward entered first, nodding once, acknowledging that he was aware of our confusion. I took this as a guarantee that he would explain later… even if he wasn't willing to. One way or another he would have to explain this to me. Even if I had to force it out of him.

He laughed out loud at that one, and I fought the urge to stick my tongue out. "What do you find so funny _now?" _A weak voice which came from behind Edward asked. He shook his head and looked back at her.

"It's nothing," He assured her. When he turned his back, she rolled her eyes and sighed. When she set eyes on me, my roommate waved timidly, half-smiled, and sat on the end of her bed. I didn't need to examine her closely to realize that she had been crying heavily, and was the source of Jasper's newfound anguish. Her eyes were red, and slightly swollen, and she was pale, especially for a human.

Hearing my description of her, Edward locked eyes with me. There was a meaning to his expression that I couldn't decipher. All I knew was that this was the happiest I'd seen Edward in years, despite the fact that he still seemed to be his gloomy self. This new Edward definitely had something more. Hope, I figured. But what was he hopeful about?

He turned to Vanessa. "I don't think I properly introduced myself," He told her in a gentle tone, and she stared at him intently. "I'm Edward Cullen," He told her before turning to indicate Jasper and I. "These are my siblings, Alice and Jasper."

"Nice to, um, meet you," She stumbled, and then swallowed. The room grew quiet, except for Vanessa's eccentric heartbeat.

I watched Edward nod to Jasper, and wondered what they could have possibly agreed upon. I found myself wishing that I too could read minds. At least my gift would be fully functional…

I watched Edward react to that. Instead of laughing at me, like I had expected him to do as per usual, he shook his head. My eyes widened in shock, and I glanced at Vanessa, and back at him. He shook his head once more.

I couldn't see her, and he couldn't hear her. All three of us were gawking at her now, as curious as we had ever been. Vanessa shifted her weight uneasily in response to our stares. Her heart thrummed faster. "W-what's wrong?" She asked quietly.

We froze, waiting for someone to change the subject. Edward looked at his watch. "It's almost time for the Open House," He pointed out. I had forgotten about the open house. I groaned. It was mandatory for all new students.

Vanessa's face lit up in horror. "Oh my God!" She shouted, springing up in the air, toward the door. She wiped the tears off of her face. "I'm late!" Her face was red, and her heart beat anxiously out of her chest. "I'm so sorry; I promised that I would…" Before finishing, she flung the door open and left us sitting in a tense, uncomfortable silence.

I waited precisely fifty-five seconds before I spoke. "She's…" I didn't finish, I only stared at my feet. I heard Edward sigh, and I locked eyes with him.

"My daughter," He confirmed, and if it were possible, I imagined that he would be tearing up.

"But how?" Jasper asked, "The Volturi…" _Killed them._ He almost said 'killed them.' I was glad that he stopped himself. I wouldn't have been able to take Edward's sorrowful response, and we both knew that Jasper wouldn't have been able to weather it either.

Edward scratched his head. I could tell that he had been asking himself that question ever since they were reunited. "She doesn't remember," He spoke in a pained tone, "She doesn't know what happened to her," He lowered his hand down to his side, and balled it into a fist.

"What does this mean?" I asked them both.

"It means that someone has cut us a break," Jasper explained, "Or they are merely baiting us,"

**A/N: This chapter's POV was Alice! So if you got that, you rock! Please let me know what you think, I love hearing it! :] –shootingstarx7**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I don't own twilight. I did make a pretty cool glass bottle with rocks and water from the ocean tonight! **

** Sorry I haven't updated in a while. Believe me, I know how annoying that is. Here's another chapter. Hope you like it! **

**Seven. **

"Finally!" Mel exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. I watched her as I swiftly rounded the corner of the hallway that led into the packed school lobby, almost taking out the AV Club's table in the process. "It's about time you showed up!" She was annoyed, until something that she saw on my face, changed the way she felt. Ugh. Was it really that obvious that I was a mess?

"Hey," She said in a softer tone, reaching out for me as I approached. "What's the matter?"

I shrugged, and bit my lip to try to keep the tears from coming again. "I don't want to talk about it," I told her in a shaky voice, then faked a smile. She released my arm from her sympathetic grasp. I took in my surroundings. There were tons of parents and new students milling around in what seemed to be some sort of controlled chaos. My heart sank, as I dreaded the fact that I'd be giving tours for the next three hours or so. I threw on the Hall Prep Polo -the one that Mel had been sure to toss at me- over my Cub's T-shirt, and moaned to myself.

Mel was staring at me sympathetically, just the way I hated. She knew that I didn't want her pity, or anyone's, but I could tell that she didn't really care. She gently laid a hand on my shoulder. "Are you going to be able to do this?" She asked me in a soft voice, "If you aren't, I won't be upset,"

Her compassion made my eyes well up with tears. I shook my head, before hiding my face and the humiliating tears that were now falling down it. "I'm fine," I assured her between unwanted sobs. She pulled me in for an embrace. I wiped my face, and took a deep breath. "See? I can do this."

She eyed me skeptically. "What happened to you, V?" I stepped away from her instinctively, reapplying my poker face which I'd worn every other day up until today. But Mel was my best friend in the world. I should have foreseen that she wouldn't buy it.

"Tell you later," I mumbled, not wanting to victimize myself. God knows how many drama queens at Hall have had their melodramatic meltdowns ruin everything. I refused to be one of those girls. I bit my lip, hard. Mel released my shoulder, and we migrated to the lobby to find our tour group.

Ms. Tyler read off all of the names. It struck me upon realizing that Alice's entire mysterious family was going to account for most of my tour group. But that wasn't the worst part. There was this one, tall, tan guy who I didn't recognize, but knew I'd seen before somewhere. _Kismet,_ Mel would probably say if I told her. She believed in that kind of thing. She'd probably elaborate on how I must have known him in another life, before going into a long rant about the realities of reincarnation. Whatever.

All I knew was that I had to get out of here…but not before helping Mel. I owed her this, and much more, given the hundreds of times she's covered for me, bailed me out, and even saved me from expulsion on a few occasions. There was no way out of this one. I stood there in Hall's lobby with a stupid blank expression on my face, waiting to get the okay to get this over with.

I was a mess, and everyone knew it. I'd gotten a few tell-tale glances from Mr. Kismet, but not before I'd gotten some sympathetic glances from Alice and her weird brother. I took a deep breath. This was going to be a_ very_ long night for me.

Ms. Tyler sent us off. I began leading the group quickly down the main hallway of our school. Confused, Mel plodded along behind me, but didn't say a word. We stopped at our first destination of our tour, the math hallway. "This is the Math Wing of the school," Mel introduced, "This is where you will be taking all of your math courses here at Hall Prep," Mel looked at me, indicating that it was my turn.

I faked a smile, and checked my script. "Here….at Hall…. we …offer many…. courses," I read slowly off of the page. My blood began to boil as I remembered that I hadn't had time to study the page before the tour. I usually studied all of my required reading once or twice before every class, or any assignment was due. Because of my dyslexia, this is something I'd become accustomed to. I cursed Quentin for forcing me to go into this cold.

I could tell that my face was bright red, and that I was becoming even more of a mess than I was to begin with. Frustrated, I folded the paper, and stuffed it into my pocket. I glanced at Mel. Her eyes were wide, almost as though she was warning me not to do what I was about to do.

I did it anyway.

"Here at Hall we offer many courses," I repeated, this time with a sarcastic grin, "We have Algebra, and Trig, and Calculus…" I elaborated. I could tell that my audience was going to be respectful, and they were going to patiently wait for me to stop, even if this tour was boring them to tears. "But honestly," I continued, and out of the corner of my eye I saw Mel's head snap in my direction, "You can take all of the classes you want here, and you'll still have to teach yourself how to do the things that really matter. Sure, I can find 'x,'" Mel's eyebrows knit together nervously, "But I still had to use an internet Tax Service. I find that kind of sad," I added that one in just for kicks.

Literally.

Mel kicked me for that one.

Well, hey. At least I got a few laughs. It was totally worth it.

We began to walk again. I could feel my blood boiling once again, as I listened to the quick whispers of the group behind me. The Cullens were talking about me, I could feel it, even though there was no way to know for sure. I could feel my heartbeat pick up in my chest. What about them did I find so alarming? That was a mystery in itself.

When I turned around, I found that Mr. Kismet had now made his way to the front. "Here we have the English Department," Mel said, and I realized that she'd memorized the script. I didn't have long to concentrate on what she was saying, however, because I was too busy staring into this stranger's eyes. _How odd, _I thought to myself as chills ran down my spine. And then I looked at all of them. They were all pale, and shared the same yellow eyes. I swore that I'd seen them before.

As Mel rambled on, I racked my brain in search of a time when I might have encountered them before. At times, I believed that I'd found a fragment of a memory of them, but each time I connected to one of those, my mind went completely black, and it felt as though I was being snapped by a rubber band. I gripped my temple as I winced in pain, but thought harder.

All I could see were faint, brief images that seemed too ridiculous to be real. There was a big dog, and quick blurs of people rushing by. The color green. Gray clouds. Then there was the elevator. Everything always came back to the elevator. In a moment, I was transported back to the worst time of my life. It was like I was there again, lying in a pool of my own blood, grasping my neck to try to stem the bleeding. I was alone, and writhing in pain as I tried to remove the metal from my neck.

And that's when everything went black.

**A/N: If you guessed that it was Nessie's POV, we have a winner. I really hope you liked this… sorry for the cliffhanger. I'll try my best to update soon! –Shootingstarx7**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I don't own twilight. I just like to pretend I do when I'm in my insomniac mode. :]  
>Here is the next installment. I really hope you like it. I'm working feverishly on the next one, despite how CRAZY my life is getting right now! I hope you like this chapter, and stay tuned for a new one coming your way soon! <strong>

**Eight. **

I don't think I have ever felt as sick to my stomach as I did in this moment. Except, maybe, when I'd realized that she'd gone missing in the first place, but even _that _memory was hazy.

There she was; just lying there helplessly on the tile floor, limp and pale. Well, more pale than usual. My heart lurched as I rushed to her side. My blood boiled; a direct result of my fear, as I bent over her body. "Nessie," I called to her quietly, as I shook her shoulder, "Come on, Nessie. It's me, Jake. Open your eyes!" I was frantic now.

Sweat poured down my face as I looked over the alarmed faces of the Cullen family…her family. I gently shook her again. "Renesmee…_please,"_ She took in a sharp, pointed breath, and coughed violently before drawing her hand to the back of her head, where she had made contact with the floor in the minutes before. Slowly, her eyes opened.

"W-who are you?" She asked in a terrified murmur, when she realized that I was leaning over her. Her eyes flicked around, making contact with every other pair that surrounded her as she attempted to sit up. The Cullens were in shock that I had confirmed this familiar stranger's identity… Well, except for Edward. If anyone would be able to recognize his daughter, it would, of course, be him.

My eyes flicked back to her horrified expression. I felt like someone had just stabbed me in the stomach. "Don't you remember me?" I couldn't even help my voice from cracking as I said that. Suddenly, her eyes softened and filled with concern.

She sat up. "Am I supposed to?" She frowned, and bit her lip in her dismay. Closing her eyes, she shook her head as if she were searching for a long lost memory. She flinched and nearly fell down on her back once more. I caught her just before she hit the ground.

Carlisle came to her side at once, and proceeded to begin an unsolicited examination on the spot. I helped her to her feet, but drifted off to the back of the group afterwards. I couldn't stand to be near her anymore…it hurt too much. It was like all of the gratitude I'd felt from knowing that she was alive had been cancelled out by the fact that it wasn't really _Nessie_ anymore. It was somebody else, completely.

But with that said, I still loved her more than anything on this Earth. And she didn't even remember my name. That was what hurt me the most. When I heard her exhale sharply, my head snapped in her direction-my protective nature, which had manifested because of the imprinting, was doing its job for the first time in a long, miserable decade.

"Carlisle thinks we should move her," Edward said quietly. I could tell that he was concerned, but he was fighting to keep it from showing. I nodded once, and scooped Nessie up into my arms. Upon standing upright, I briefly made eye contact with her best friend, the other tour guide, whose jaw was dropped, and whose brow was covered in sweat. She flinched as her gaze shifted to Nessie.

As Carlisle passed, she spoke quietly. "This happens to V _all the time_," She said in an emotionless tone, without moving her eyes from the limp body in my arms. "But every time I see it… it still freaks me out. I can tell it freaks her out too. She doesn't like to talk about any of it,"

Carlisle didn't comment. Alice, however stepped in, right on cue. She gently, and encouragingly, laid her hand on Mel's shaking shoulder. "Any of what, exactly?" She prodded, but somehow did it in a kind and gentle matter. I rolled my eyes, and glanced down at an unconscious Nessie, idly wondering if that was just a Vampire trait. Edward chuckled, but we had little time to concentrate on mere antics.

"I don't know exactly," Mel had begun to explain. "She gets so…_distant_ whenever anyone questions her about this, or her scars, or even her past. She hasn't told me much. She only said that she doesn't remember anything before Hall, and it physically hurts her when she tries," She shivered. I glanced back down at Nessie, who was warm and peaceful in my arms. Did it hurt her to remember who I was? Who her family was? "I can't imagine how that must feel," She told Alice in a chilling tone before glancing back down at the tiles where her friend had previously fainted.

Nessie stirred in my arms, and suddenly all eyes were on her. I watched her roll her eyes, and exhale in frustration before burying her head in my chest. "Well, this is embarrassing," She spoke into my shirt a muffled mumble. She must have believed that no one would hear her snide comment. If she had, she was severely mistaken.

I pulled her closer to me…selfishly. I was both surprised and delighted when she didn't fight me because of this. It gave me hope that maybe, deep down, the imprinting still linked her to me whether she remembered or not. She took a deep breath and exhaled as her heartbeat slowed back to its usual measured thrumming.

When I realized that she'd fallen asleep, I couldn't help but be transported back to the simpler times, before the Volturi stepped in and screwed everything up royally. (No pun intended) I was reminded of the times when she and I would watch the most boring movies like A Tale of Two Cities, and Gone with the Wind her request since she had just finished reading the books. Typically, she would fall asleep in my lap halfway through the films, and I would carry her to bed and tuck her in.

I followed Edward and Alice to the elevator. We stood in an awkward silence for a few moments before the door opened and we stepped inside. I pressed the button for the thirteenth floor, immediately wishing I hadn't. Nessie stirred, and I realized that I woke her up again by mistake. The door closed. Her eyelids fluttered as she tried to regain her bearings. The elevator slowly began to ascend.

A blood-curdling scream rang out. In disbelief, I stared down at my soul mate, with my jaw dropped, as she fought tooth and nail to get away from me. I restrained her as gently as I could. Her heartbeat was racing. Her breaths were shallow and quick, like panting. Tears streamed down her face.

Edward rushed to her immediately, "What is happening to you, Renesmee?" He asked urgently, but in a soft, concerned tone. "What's the matter?"

"_Why_," She said through her teeth between frantic breaths, "_Do you keep calling me that?"_

Edward looked like he'd just been stabbed as he remembered all that she had forgotten. He stepped back as the elevator stopped, dumbfounded. Alice touched his shoulder, attempting to comfort him. Nessie trembled in my arms, as we waited for the door to open. When it did, she broke out of my hold, and sprinted out of the elevator like it was on fire.

Slowly, in a daze, the three of us emerged. Nessie shrunk down into a fetal position against the wall, crying into her knees. She was clutching the left side her neck with her right hand. Without a word, Alice sat down on the floor beside her.

"Are you okay?" Alice asked Nessie, who didn't reply, much less move a muscle. Alice sighed, and touched her shoulder just as she had done with Edward just moments before. "We're on your side, you know," She assured her niece, "You can trust us,"

"I just met you today," Nessie's speech was barely comprehendible, "How do I know that I can really trust you?" She asked this so innocently, but there was a dark note in her voice, which implied that she had learned not to trust the hard way.

Alice locked eyes with Edward, clearly asking for advice on what to say next. I watched Edward nod his head once. Alice once again turned to her niece, who had raised her head in eager anticipation to see how Alice would counter. "Nessie," She said, and Nessie flinched at the sound of her nickname, "You need to trust us because we know a lot of what you can't remember."

**A/N: And today's POV…? …Drumroll please… Is Jake! If you guessed that, you rock. PLEASE REVIEW and let me know how I did. Remember, more reviews, more motivation. And thank you so much for reading! –Shootingstarx7**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: SORRY SORRY SORRY for the hiatus! In the time when I wasn't posting, I started and completed my first semester of college as a Psychology/Social Work double major, and meanwhile had a pretty rocky road. Much like the time Renesmee (who still thinks she was born Vanessa Madison) is having in her senior year. I had roommate troubles, relationship issues... you name it. Some of it might be reflected in future chapters :) but for now, I hope you enjoy the latest! **

** Nine. **

It was safe to say that I was officially scared out of my mind, and emotionally compromised at the same time. And let me tell you, that is not a pleasant combination. So far, today, I'd met and embarrassed myself royally in front of my roommate and her family, caught my fiancée cheating on me, been strangely attached to the Cullen's large friend, and finally, at the moment I was crying hysterically into my knees after having a panic attack in the elevator. I was just a winner through and through. (Of course, that was sarcasm.)

It wasn't very long until the rest of the Cullen family had caught up with us. I lifted my head, and watched the blonde, the father; send Edward a long, meaningful glance. I did not look beside me, but was still startled when out of the blue, he replied to mere eye contact.

"Jacob woke her up while we were in the elevator, and she was terrified. We don't know why yet," He explained in a worried tone. I buried my head in my knees once again. Yet. He said that as if he was so sure that he would get an answer. I shuddered when I felt an icy touch on my shoulder which had been meant to comfort me. Alice reflexively pulled her hand away. There was a pause, and I looked up to notice that he was again, fielding another long stare from his father. This time, he shook his head. "I can't hear anything," He said in a troubled voice as if this was extremely worrisome and rare, "But I know it's her,"

_I know it's her, _he said. What did that mean? Was he talking about me? "I-I don't understand what's going on," I said as non-hysterically as I could manage, looking beside me, into Edward's eyes. Obviously, he knew something I did not. Maybe they all did…

He gently grabbed my arm, and began to pull me to my feet. Taking the hint, Alice mirrored him, grabbing my other arm at the same time. "Here," He said quietly, "Let's at least get you inside," They led me into the room I'd been living in for ten years, as if it was somewhere I would become lost in easily.

They sat me down at my desk chair, and soon enough, eight pairs of eyes were staring intently at me. "Wow, this really is the hot seat," I feebly attempted to crack a joke, but somehow the atmosphere was too serious. Almost toxically sad. I sighed. "I feel like you're worried about me," I admitted, rambling, "It's not really a big deal. This happens to me every other second," As I added that last part, I rolled my eyes and laughed at myself. "I just had a bad day on top of that… Things I didn't see coming." Then I turned to Jacob, who was less than two feet away from me, looking as though he was about to pounce on the next thing that came through the door. "I'm sorry about how I freaked out in the elevator. I have a phobia. It's not too irrational, I swear." I grabbed my scar insecurely, "It's just… very… _prevalent_… in my life…"

Jacob gulped. The Cullen family looked amongst each other nervously as I thought about how strangely easy it was to be open with them. That had never happened before. Actually, save Mel and Quentin, I don't believe I'd ever been open with anybody. Especially strangers… Even that therapist the state assigned to me.

"We _are_ worried about you," Edward spoke quietly, and I could hear an unexpected weakness color his voice. "The way that you were when I found you…and now that you've fainted and had a panic attack… It can't simply be ignored,"

"Why not?" I asked, throwing my hands up into the air, before wiping my eyes.

He laughed in disbelief. "_Why not?"_ He asked, "These things are very serious. You _fainted_, and experienced extreme emotions within a very short time frame. We are just trying to help you,"

I shook my head. "My fainting to me was serious the first time… and the second, but I've counted, _Edward_," I used his name to show him that I meant business, "And this has happened three hundred and twelve_-now thirteen_-times over the past _ten years_. After a while I've grown to accept it. It doesn't hurt me, per say, save the occasional head injury, and I know how to consciously avoid it. And as for everything else…Well, life sucks. I guess I've grown to accept that as well."

"_Three-hundred and thirteen times_," Edward's father repeated, running his fingers through his blond hair in a frenzy of puzzlement. The rest of the Cullens were frozen and silent in their confusion. I nodded at him once, in conformation. "And may, I ask, what causes these … episodes to occur?"

And at that point, I was convinced that I perfectly resembled a deer in the headlights. It took a few moments for me to reply, as I was trying to muster up the strength. "_Remembering_," Was the one word I used, and I felt myself becoming extremely depressed. But suddenly, out of nowhere, a wave of calm descended over me. My breathing hitched due to my surprised, and I locked eyes with the skinny blond guy, Jasper, who was attached to Alice's arm. In that moment, I could tell that he knew that I suspected that something was odd about him.

"Remembering what exactly?" Edward's father continued.

I froze. "I-I," I wanted to explain it. But it… _hurt _too much. "I can't say," I told him, "I-I'm afraid it will happen again,"

Edward ran his fingers through his hair-the hair that strangely matched mine. He stared at me with the same worried look on his face that he'd shown before. He looked at me as if I was confusing, or broken beyond repair. I blinked, hard, not sure what else to do. My head was throbbing from the day's trauma.

Deep in my soul, I knew that whatever I was trying to find was hiding somewhere. It had to be. After all, I was still who I am when I woke up in the Hall infirmary when I was eight years old. At least, I thought I was. I couldn't have changed too drastically…

"This is a first impression for the books," I laughed at my own poorly placed joke. "I'm not usually this emotionally compromised," I explained to them with a twinge of seriousness. None of them seemed to find me particularly funny. Somehow, my joke seem to make them more depressed-looking.

That's why I almost fell onto my knees and thanked the Lord when Mel stormed into the room, followed by our friends Ben and his twin sister Amy, come to the rescue. Before she'd entered the room, Mel was already in hysterics. Typical.

"V!" She yelled, and then flinched when she realized how many people were in the room. If this had been a different situation, I was positive that she would have reported us for causing a fire hazard. That was just Mel's unofficial job description: Full-time upstanding citizen. And as annoying as that may sound, I can't count how many times she's saved me from doing very stupid and risky things. "Are you all right? What did you see this time?"

I rolled my eyes. I could just feel the questions popping into Alice's family's minds. I sighed. "The usual, Mel," And then I grasped my temple, remembering that I had a headache. "Why would you ask me that?"

At that point, Ben took it upon himself to change the subject, running his hand through his curly black hair nervously. "Anyway…" He said, stepping in between the large crowd which had enveloped my tiny dorm room, "Since you're alive, V, we were wondering if you were free on Friday night?" I laughed when he'd made a death joke, but it seemed as though I was the only one who found it funny.

My eyes narrowed. "What's on Friday?" I asked him skeptically. Amy began to laugh. I glanced at her, and then back at Ben. "What's so funny?"

"Your _birthday_ is on Friday," Mel reminded me in a monotone voice. "God, V, I'm so worried about you. You have to _do _something about these _episodes," _Since I was too tired to lash out at her, I just let her rant, "You forgot your own _birthday," _She reminded me, "That's a big problem."

I rolled my eyes. "Relax, Mel," I told her, "No one even knows if it's really my birthday anyway,"

The whole room was silent.

"Well it's true," I added, in response to all of the shocked and worried expressions painted on the faces of everyone in the room. I rolled my eyes, and sighed again. "Honestly, I'm okay with it, you guys," I said directly to my friends, but indirectly to the Cullen family. "There's a reason I don't just go digging for my real birthday or my past." Everyone in the room stared at me with wide eyes, and awed expressions. "Ignorance is bliss, you know? And I'm doing pretty well seeing as nothing's tried to ki…"  
>I'd almost said <em>"kill me lately…" <em>It was a good joke, to me, since I was the only one who knew about the whole elevator ordeal. Jacob seemed to have choked on his own spit, before he stared at me with a fearful, extreme form of surprise on his face. Like he knew what happened to me. I closed my eyes, and stood up.

"Uh," I said awkwardly. I could feel my knees giving out on me already. "Excuse me, please." I said quickly, yet politely, before darting out the door and down all 13 flights of stairs.

**A/N: So, incase you didn't guess, this was Nessie's POV. I am now on winter break, so I'll be posting a new chapter in the near future. PLEASE REVIEW and let me know how I'm doing! It also motivates me to write faster when I know people are reading! And have a great holiday if I don't post by then :) -Sarah**


	10. Chapter 10 (Song is by Fall Out Boy)

** A/N: See!? I told you it wouldn't take me long to update! This chapter has been successfully written and posted 2 hours after the last, and I'm very proud. Please enjoy! **

** Ten. **

The room was completely silent, but at the same time, it was like my mind was being ravaged by a hurricane of voices. There was not a quiet mind in room 1313 at the moment, despite how no one dared to say a word.

My daughter's friends were as worried as the family she could not remember. Their minds were quite useful to me, as they speculated where she might have run off to. _She must have gone to the library, _Melissa, our tour guide, hoped mentally, trying to repress the truth from herself, which was that Renesmee, or V, to each of her friends was really up to no good. Ben and Amy, seemed to be more honest with themselves, which made me wish they weren't. Ben wondered if Renesmee was off to score something to drink, while Amy idly wondered if my daughter's fake ID would still hold up.

I couldn't quite pinpoint the reason why I was so surprised that my daughter would have a fake ID. She'd had one for practically her entire life, thanks to Bella. (I shuddered when I thought her name to myself. I'd forgotten how painful that was.) After all, that was the reason why she was now being called 'Vanessa,' although, the way she'd inherited the surname 'Madison' was still beyond me.

Someone was calling my name in their thoughts. It was getting on my nerves, so I figured that it must be Alice.

_Edward… Edward!., EDWARD! _She mentally shouted, until I shot an annoyed glance in her direction. _It's about time you paid attention. _She complained, and I rolled my eyes as if to say, "Get on with it."

_You need to follow her. _She told me, and I narrowed my eyes. _She might hurt herself. _I was suddenly struck with the realization that this was an extremely real possibility. Alice must have been able to see the sadness and fear which all of a sudden enveloped my expression. _Make an excuse to leave, quickly. _She ordered. _I can keep everyone else distracted. _By "everyone else" she'd meant Melissa, Ben, and Amy, of course. We didn't want them to have any idea that I was planning on following their friend to make sure she didn't do anything stupid. I nodded to Alice, putting the plan into action.

I gasped loudly as I looked at my watch. "Is it really 5 o' clock?" I asked aloud.

The rest of my family, beside Alice, looked at me like I'd lost it, but thankfully, Alice played along. She feigned surprise as she replied to my pretense. "Yes it is," She said, "Isn't there something you had to take care of, Edward?" She asked.

"Thank you for reminding me!" I told her, quickly rushing out of the room without much of an explanation. I hurried down the stairs at vampire speed, knowing that no human would want to walk down all of those flights, so I was safe. I was surprised when the trail that my daughter's scent left hadn't led to the liquor store across the street like her friends had expected, but rather, into the academic building instead.

I traced the trail like a bloodhound, until it ended outside the door of Music Practice Room number 113. I laughed to myself. Renesmee really did have a thing for the number thirteen, like Mel had been thinking during the tour. I stood against the wall, so that I was not able to be seen from the inside of the practice room, via the small window on the door, and I listened closely.

At first she was very quiet, occasionally pressing keys on the piano, until the music hallway suddenly erupted into a flurry of sound. They were strong, sad chords, at first, before her startlingly beautiful voice broke through over them.

_How cruel is the Golden rule…when the lives we lived are only golden plated? _

It was such a heavy statement to be sung… and she conveyed such emotion through the music. It was almost as though Jasper was standing next to her, forcing me to feel how she felt, and channeled into the song itself.

_And I knew that the lights of the city were too heavy for me…_

_ Though I carried karats for everyone to see…  
><em>She paused briefly, as if she was composing herself, preparing herself for the next portion of the song or remembering which chords came next. I could not tell which one it was, but even the silence left a powerful effect on me, though not as powerful as the words that followed.

_And I saw God cry in the reflection of my enemies_

_ And all the lovers with no time for me. _

_ And all of the mothers raise their babies… to stay away from me. _

At that moment, the pain was unbearable for me. It was like she die-. No, I wasn't going to go into that hole once again. Impulsively, I turned the doorknob as quickly as I could, and rushed into the room, at slightly quicker than human speed. The way that I had startled her ruined the music. She stared at me, breathing shallowly, her heartbeat racing a mile a minute. I could tell that she'd been crying once again.

"You didn't mention that you played," I told her, quietly, expressing my admiration. She didn't know it, but I was so deeply proud that she'd still picked up one of my favorite pastimes, even without my guidance.

She wiped her eyes. "We just met today," She snapped, "It didn't come up."

I sat down on the opposite end of the bench, somehow knowing that she would not move away. My gut told me that she felt as much of a connection to me as I felt to her, except she did not know why. I rested my hand on her shoulder as a comforting gesture, only to cause the tears to flow once more. I pulled it away immediately as a guilty reflex.

"May I?" I asked her permission to play the piano. She glanced at me, surprised, before nodding once.

"Have at it," She murmured quietly, pushing over, so that she was seated more toward the edge of the bench. I placed myself in the middle and began to play a familiar piece… Esme's favorite song. As usual, my notes were effortless and fluid, much like life had been when my little family had been one, before the Volturi had come and cornered two thirds of it. When I had struck the last note, I looked to Renesmee, who had a bewildered expression on her face.

"I've heard that before," She blurted out, "What is that?"

If I had a heart it would have leapt for joy. "I actually wrote it," I admitted, "I wrote it for my mother," I figured that even though she was my daughter, it was still safer to stick to the script around her, given that she probably had no idea that my family's kind even existed.

Her eyes narrowed in confusion, and she bit her lip, before immediately wiping her face clean of any expression whatsoever. "Oh," She replied neutrally and politely, "It was very nice,"

I nodded once in gratitude before moving on. "How long have you played?" I asked her, out of curiosity.

"Since before I could remember," She answered quietly, "But I don't tell anyone," She added quickly, "Please don't tell anyone that I can play. It's never been something that I particularly enjoy, just something to calm my nerves."

"I won't tell," I promised solemnly, "But may I ask why you don't enjoy it?"

She sighed. "I didn't really have the best childhood," She said bluntly, grasping the scar on her neck. "One of my foster families had a piano, and I picked it up within days. I was deemed a prodigy, and paraded around like a circus animal until I turned ten, and they thought I was too old, and got rid of me." She was now staring down at her hands, looking as though she was about to cry again. "Turns out Foster kids are a lot like dogs sometimes. Everyone wants the puppies… the cute little babies. And nobody wants you when you get older. You can't teach an old dog new tricks, I guess."

I was silent, just studying her, not exactly sure what to say or think. I was mostly wondering how someone could have ever rejected a person so brilliant, so intelligent as Renesmee. I also felt extreme guilt over the fact that I wasn't there to provide her the childhood she deserved, all because of what I was.

Bothered by the silence, she spoke again. "I don't even know what makes me think that I can tell all of this to you," She told me, honestly and curtly, now looking into my eyes. "I have never told that to anyone in my entire life," She gulped, "I just… trust you, and I don't know why," She admitted, "It's stupid, I know. I'm just in a vulnerable state at the moment, if you can imagine. I typically don't speak at all and get by just fine…" She trailed off now beginning to cry once more.

I put one of my hands on each shoulder, forcing her to look at me. "Your secrets are safe with me," I told her, and she nodded before shuddering, and letting more tears flow. In all of my years of wishing that I'd find her, I never wished to find her like this.

But I'd found her. And she trusted me. And I couldn't ask for more.

**A/N: This chapter is in Edward's POV. I'd give you a prize if you figured it out, but I'm a broke college student, and fresh out of brand new cars. I'll be updating soon, though not as soon as the last time because it's nearing 4AM and I need to sleep! :) **


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Merry Christmas Eve! As your Xmas present, or holiday present if you don't celebrate Xmas, here's a new chapter! hope you like it! :) **

**Eleven. **

"Hey," Mel greeted me, as I placed my lunch tray on the cafeteria table across from hers. Lunchtime had finally arrived on the first day of school. I was more than thankful for a break from my brand new classes, but what I really wanted was a break from all of the stares that came from my fellow students, who were all eagerly gossiping about my meltdown yesterday. It was truly a great day to be me. Not.  
>"Hi," I said, idly picking at my honey mustard fries, and absentmindedly watching the Cullen family conversing over at their table across the way. There was definitely something about them that was off… Something strange. But it was that same thing that drew me to them, which was something that both excited me and terrified me at the same time.<p>

"How was your night?" Mel asked me, noticing the fact that I was fairly engrossed in whatever the Cullens were doing, and had been all day.

"Great… after I fell asleep," I told her honestly. Oh God, was the first night with Alice as a roommate awkward. She kept asking me about my life as if I could remember any of it. Then she kept replying with cryptic remarks, making me think she knew something I didn't when she couldn't possibly know.

Could she?

I fixed my stare on the back on the Cullens' table, without even blinking. Edward and Alice were laughing about something that Jasper had said, and the other blonde rested her head on the large burly one's shoulders. Jacob sat alone among them, as if he was excluded. He just sat there eating his hamburger, staring down at his tray with some kind of a worried look on his face.

I watched him finish, and then stand to dump his tray. Without even thinking I stood with him, and picked my uneaten food off of the table. Mel looked at me like I'd lost my mind. "You're done? Already?" She asked, in awe, "You didn't even eat your honey mustard fries! You _love_ your honey mustard fries!"

It was true. Honey Mustard fries were one of the only foods I actually found edible and the truth was that I did want them. But as it turned out, my fascination with Mr. Kismet was a lot stronger, overpoweringly so, and I didn't know why. I just made my way to the trash cans in the corner as if we were the north and south poles of a magnet.

I made it in time for him to let me go first, like a true gentleman. "Thanks," I told him with a smile, and dumped my tray.

I looked up to see him staring at me, which made my heart race. "I-I wanted to say how sorry I am about last night," I told him uneasily, preoccupied by the way he was looking at me. He took a second to reply, seemingly lost in thought.

"You didn't need to apologize," He told me gently, "You couldn't help yourself,"

I laughed, still uneasy as we moved away from the trash barrels. "Yeah," I said, "True, but you must think that I'm insane now," I told him, chuckling to mask my embarrassment as my face turned beet red. "I hope you know that I'm not," I told him, "Or at least I don't think I am,"

He smiled. "I don't think you're insane," He assured me. "You've just had a hard past,"

"What's a past?" I joked in a monotone voice, "I seem to have lost mine,"

He didn't laugh. I fruitlessly tried to explain that this was a joke, but it was no use. I smiled awkwardly, then began to walk away. "Hey!" He called after me, "Where are you going?" I turned around, my face still red from embarrassment, to face him.

He seemed like he was generally concerned, and though it scared the living daylights out of me, in the same breath, I loved it. I couldn't remember a time when someone cared for me like he seemed to. It was unique. "Uh, erhm…" I stammered.

"You should come meet everyone," He told me, "I mean for real this time," He laughed at my horrified expression. I thought about making a break for the door, but for some reason I trusted him. I nodded once, and followed him to the table where the Cullen family was seated.

When I arrived, I literally wanted to scream. This was almost too much for me, and I didn't know why. It made me feel like I did when I fainted… Although that was the last thing I needed to think about. I couldn't help but notice that my face was still red. "Uh, hi," I said generally, then I spoke directly to Alice, my roommate, who surprisingly wasn't confused. "He said that this was a good idea," I joked, pointing at Jacob who shrugged.

"I told her she should meet everyone for real," He explained, and I took a deep breath. "It's not a big deal," He told me. "You're having an anxiety attack!"

"What an observation," I muttered to myself as he laughed at his unfunny joke.

"Please," Edward spoke now, indicating an empty spot at the picnic-style lunch table, "Sit down."

I silently did what I was told without really knowing why. I was running on a gut feeling. I was now seated between Edward and Jacob, as uncomfortable as ever. Not because they were particularly intimidating, but because I felt as though I was about to drift back into my past which was never a good sign. Usually, it caused me to faint.

I felt a wave of calm fall over me… like it had in my room last night. I immediately looked toward Jasper, and we locked eyes. He nodded once, as if he was silently confirming that he was messing with my head. I refrained from saying anything to keep from sounding crazy. I just looked away.

"I don't think we formally met," The other blonde said, from across the table, "I'm Rosalie," she said, extending her hand, "and this is Emmett." Uneasily, I shook her hand. She smiled sweetly at me, but her eyes seemed to tell a deeper story. She looked at me like I was someone she used to know. I stifled a shudder.

I waved to Emmett, not expecting him to speak. "So…" He mused, "I heard about you," He told me, almost as though he was about to interrogate me.

"Really?" I asked him, confused.

"You have quite a reputation," He continued, with a sly smile, "It's a wonder you haven't been expelled…"

Rosalie punched him in the arm. "Emmett, stop!" She chided, "She's already nervous as it is!"

"I was just joking!" He told her in response to her reaction, then turned to me. "I wasn't judging you," He explained, "Just sharing a mutual hobby of practical jokes…"

It was like the whole table rolled their eyes. I smiled. "Glad someone appreciates it," I joked lightheartedly.

That was when the bell rang. I stood first, almost as though it was a reflex. "Can't be late to music class," I told them, "Especially with my reputation," I joked.

"You have music next period as well?" Edward asked me, "I'll walk with you,"

I sighed, and faked a convincing smile to conceal my nerves as we walked to class.

**A/N: If you guessed that this was Nessie's POV, you are correctomundo! :) Although you probably should be getting used to her voice by now... But don't worry... I'll be switching it up soon! -Sarah**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: HAPPY 2014 EVERYONE! Here's a brand new chapter, hot off the presses. I really hope you enjoy it! And for those of you who are Mercy Black fans, I am also planning on revisiting that story in the new year as well after an extremely long and unexplained hiatus. Well anyway, here's the new chapter!**

**Twelve**

My daughter had nothing to say to me as we left the cafeteria. She didn't seem angry, upset, or even as anxious as she had been when Jacob had cunningly persuade her to "meet" us formally. This troubled me. I watched her wave to numerous students as we passed them, each of them confused as to why the ever so extroverted V Madison would ever associate herself with our introverted family.

Admittedly, I was a bit surprised to learn how truly outgoing Renesmee truly was in this new life that she'd somehow fallen into. Before our lives changed drastically, quiet would be an understatement if you were to describe my daughter, seeing as she preferred to speak with her gift rather than her voice. Now, here she was high fiving half of the student body on our short walk to the one class that we had in common.

Twenty yards away from the door, I decided to attempt to get some answers. "You're very in demand," I observed out loud.

She continued to stare straight ahead as we walked slowly toward our destination. "What can I say?" She said in a drab, monotone voice, "It must be my stunning looks and charming personality," When I didn't reply, she looked up at me, laughing. "That was a joke," she clarified.

I nodded once, "Oh," I replied. She took a deep breath. I guessed that it was because she thought that I didn't understand her humor, when in reality my silence was completely unrelated. I was lost in thought at that moment, wondering what could have possibly happened to her to cause this much of a change. I worried about it as we continued to walk, imagining the worst possible scenarios.

Suddenly her voice broke through my fears. "Edward, are you all right?" She asked me. Now she was concerned about me. I smiled down at her, glad that she had still kept the compassionate portion of her nature.

"I'm fine," I told her, before deciding to seize the opportunity to question her when I could. "Are you all right today?" I asked her.

She flinched. I realized that I had made a big mistake by bringing it up again. This had been a thought that she had been trying to repress, and according to the studies on the ironic thought processes, recalling this had just caused her a lot more pain. I knew this first hand, since, ironically, at the time when Alice had begun insisting that we come to Hall Prep, I'd just gotten my bachelor's degree in psychology for the third time, and with it, had decided to try to stop repressing the pain that came with losing Bella and Renesmee at about the same time. Needless to say, it was still a work in progress…  
>I snapped out of my inner monologue when Renesmee spoke. "I-I-yeah," She stammered, before blushing a deep red. "I-I'll be okay" She said semi-confidently, and her demeanor had completely changed from outgoing to anxious.<p>

We stopped just before the doorway. "I'm sorry that I brought it up again," I told her, "You just had a hard night last night, and I wanted to make sure that you were doing okay." I told her this to try to soften the blow I'd dealt, despite the fact that Alice and I spent the entire night last night monitoring her just in case she decided to do anything rash, or fainted again.

She waved her hand dismissively, feigning a smile, still blushing. "I'm okay," She chuckled emotionlessly, much as I would. "Thank you for your concern," She then said sincerely, looking into my eyes, which caught me off guard. She looked at me much as she looked at the rest of our family and Jacob: She knew that something was vastly different about us, but couldn't put her finger on what it was. This had been decided by Alice and I as we watched her sleep last night.  
>I tried to decide what would be the best reply for her gratitude. Alice and I had also decided that the last thing we wanted to do was to scare her off by giving her too much information too soon. Trust, we'd agreed, was the key in this equation. So, I kept it simple, to my dismay.<p>

"I'm just looking out for you," I told her, "If you ever need anything, I will always be here for you." I said this in a way which seemed to strike her as sincere.

"Thank you," She told me, still looking at me in the same curious way as she had been with her brown eyes narrowed.

"Well," I said, breaking her stare, "Let's get to class."

"Yeah," She agreed, staring dejectedly at the floor as if she was lost in thought, "Class"

I opened the door for her, and she slowly stepped inside the classroom. Suddenly, she stopped dead in her tracks. Her jaw was dropped and her eyes were wide as she stared at the teacher who was preparing her lesson at the board, who remained TBA, according to the schedule.

The teacher turned to check her plan book, and that's when Nessie lost it. "_Peggy!" _She practically screeched, while launching herself toward her teacher.

"Hey, V!" She said, accepting a hug from a very emotional Nessie, who had begun to cry tears of joy. "Long time no see!"

"That's the understatement of the century," Nessie exclaimed, while wiping her tears. "We've been writing letters for six years now. I was in your _wedding_," she ranted, "I can't believe you wouldn't tell me that you were teaching at Hall!"

Peggy waved her hand, just as Nessie had done to me. "Aw, V, relax," She told her, "I wanted it to be a surprise,"

"You know how much I hate surprises," My daughter muttered in reply. Simultaneously, Peggy began to remember all of the times at Hall when Nessie had been surprised. When she received a B on a test in Chemistry class (apparently a B was not good enough for her,) when she was locked out of her room when Melissa was away for the weekend, and had to stay with Peggy next door. _And of course, _Peggy thought, _When she first woke up at Hall and didn't know who the hell she was. _

That hit me hard.

Peggy knew Nessie since she arrived here at this prep school when she was "eight-years old." I decided then that I would need to somehow become close enough to Peggy, where she would feel safe enough to divulge a few of her memories of my daughter.

Peggy suddenly became serious. "But right now, I'm on the clock," she told Nessie, whom she regarded as a sister. "You know I love you, but right now you're just a student…"

"Ouch," Nessie replied sarcastically, with her hands over her heart as if she was physically injured from her friend's words.

Peggy rolled her eyes. "Go sit down," She said, laughing, and Nessie obeyed, taking the only seat that remained open: the one beside me, just as the bell rang.

Class began.

**A/N: If you guessed Edward's POV, you rock. Hoping to post a new chapter soon! Until then, make sure you leave me some replies to make me work faster :) -sarah**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Sorry for the unannounced hiatus everyone. As you know I'm in college, and for lack of a better explanation, lots of sh** got real for me this year. That's all I'm going to say! But here's a new chapter. Please make sure you review to let me know how I'm doing. :)**

**Thirteen**

I had almost successfully crept out of the classroom when Peggy called for me. I groaned quietly, assuming no one could hear me, but when Edward chuckled, I realized that I had thought wrong. I looked him square in the eye as if to tell him not to say a word. He nodded once, as if he somehow understood, and knowing this, I began to approach the desk of Patricia Mayweather, who only somewhat seemed to resemble the Peggy Fuller who used to take care of me here at Hall years ago.

"What's up, Peg?" I asked her nonchalantly, addressing her as I always would. She flinched somewhat, clearly not used to being greeted that way anymore. After all, she had graduated from Hall five years ago. A lot of things had changed.

She threw me a half-smile. "I was going to ask you the same question," She told me. Then, after shutting her plan book and studying my expression for a moment, she continued. "You aren't the same," She observed, "You look sad, V."

I was caught completely off guard. Was I that easy to read? "U-uh," I stuttered, mentally debating on how much I should tell my old friend. "I'm okay," I finally said after a long pause.

Peggy stared into my eyes for a moment. "What did the Dowry's do this time?" She asked me.

"Nothing," I told her, "I emancipated myself,"

Her eyes widened, but she said nothing further on the topic beside urging me to explain it all to her later. "Is it your memory?" She guessed again.  
>I shook my head slowly. "It's the same as always," I assured her, "Nonexistent,"<p>

She studied me for a moment, clearly puzzled by the fact that I wasn't the same overly exuberant thirteen year old girl who she remembered from_ her_ senior year here at Hall. Things had changed with me as I was convinced they did with everyone at some point. Maybe that's what it means to grow up: the older you get, the more things in your life start to suck, and the more you realize that this is what life truly is.

"Melissa tipped me off," She confessed with a straight, business-only face. "I know something's up with you," She told me. I bit my lip, trying desperately not to show any emotion. I noticed that Edward was still standing in the corner, listening. I took a deep breath and let it out. "Mel wouldn't tell me what was going on, though," She assured me, "She just said that something terrible happened to you, and it might be better to hear it from the horse's mouth…"

"So I'm a horse now," I joked awkwardly, laughing at my own failed attempt at lightening the mood.

Peggy didn't think it was funny. "Come on V," She urged, "You know I'm only pushing you because I care about you. Please tell me what's wrong,"

I sighed. It was then that I came to the conclusion that whether I told her or not, Peggy would know somehow. She always found a way to know everything. That was a memory of my past that I would never forget. "I caught Quentin cheating on me," I told her truthfully in a mumble, "That was the terrible thing," I explained gruffly, "That-and I kind of fainted again while giving a tour of the school,"

"Oh, V!" Peggy exclaimed, "Do you remember what made you black out this time?"

I could feel myself turning red as the reminder of Edward's presence in the room washed over me like a rogue wave. "I-I don't know for certain," I told her weakly, keeping in mind that Mr. Nosy himself was lurking nearby, probably absorbing all of my words like a sponge. "I think it was a lot of things," I told her truthfully, "I recall trying to remember something… Trying to draw some kind of connection…Next thing I knew I woke up in an elevator," I chuckled awkwardly, "That was terrifying,"

Peggy drew me in for a hug, "I think the fact that elevator thing happened to top it all off put me over the edge just from hearing it. I don't know what it is about you the way you describe them, but you make me never want to take one again ,"

"Well thanks," I joked, "I'm touched by the fact that you are susceptible to inheriting my irrational fears,"

Suddenly, Peggy looked at her watch. "Oh! You're going to be late," She told me, "You better head to your next class." I nodded, and hugged my friend goodbye, as she urged me to make dinner plans with her this week.

"Sure," I said to her, "You know where I live,"  
>After the pleasantries and goodbyes, I met Edward in the doorway, wishing that avoiding him was an option. "How exactly are you friends with our teacher?" He asked me, trying to feign curiosity, although some extremely farfetched part of me felt as though he somehow already knew the answer.<p>

Some odd gut feeling told me to tell him the truth. "I don't know exactly," I told him, once again finding myself stifling some awkward laughter. "When I was eight I just kind of woke up here, and she, being five years older than me, and my next-door neighbor, decided to take me under her wing. She and her now husband, and a few of our friends basically raised me,"

He nodded, taking it all in. "Do you still keep in touch with them?" He asked me. I wasn't exactly sure why he was so curious about my life, but again, intuition told me that I needed to trust him, that he wouldn't harm me. I really hoped I was right.

"Not really," I told him with a sigh, "I sang at Peggy and Damien's wedding last year, but they have their own lives. As for the others, we write the occasional letter, but that's about it. My friend Ryan is in the Army overseas in Afghanistan, and sometimes he calls me on the phone. He's like my big brother. As for the others, they kind of disappeared after they moved to college,"

He nodded once again, but this time he seemed sad. Like he hadn't wanted to hear about these other people in my life, and his reasoning eluded me completely. After all, he was the one who asked. We didn't say much more to each other for the rest of the way to my next class. When we'd reached the doorway of my Sociology class, he'd sent a fleeting wave to Alice, and his brothers Jasper and Emmett before we'd exchanged a quiet and awkward goodbye.

For some strange reason, I felt uneasy from the minute he turned his back. I felt myself slipping back into my past-a place where I had felt forbidden to go. I fought the urge to try to remember why I trusted Edward so much, why I felt a strange connection to his family, why I was so fixated on their friend, Mr. Kismet. I wanted to know so badly, and I knew the answers were somehow still in my brain somewhere, just perpetually fenced off.

I couldn't control my urge to remember. Suddenly, I felt the same sensation as I had the night before. This time I was shaking in fear, and I could feel Edward trying to hold me upright, and the movement of air around us as his siblings joined him. "We need to get her out of here," A detached form of my roommate's voice stated. "I couldn't fully see for sure, but I think it's happening again,"

I could now see flashes of light. Flashes of green trees, and brown rocks. Of running through dense forests at unreal speeds. Of faces that I could not make out. Of black cloaks… It was then that I reached the point I most feared, the point when I physically felt as though I was being snapped by a rubber band.

And like the other times, that's when everything went black once again.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Hi guys! Here's a new chapter, and a fun fact.  
>So, even though it's finally spring break for me, I still like to go to bed early. But in light of writing this chapter I stayed up until it was done. So as you can imagine, when the clock jumped from 1:58 to 3:08 from the times I'd checked them, I had a minor heart attack. So common advice to everyone: don't forget Daylight Savings times, and don't forget to review!<strong>

**Fourteen.**  
>It had been nearly twelve hours since what I'd been referring to Fainting Incident Number Two occurred. I was tense, and seated in a small, plain room, with a small twin bed, a dresser, a desk and a closet. It was pristine, and comfortable, yet vastly modest for the likes of who it belonged to.<p>

. Nessie, was peacefully, and unknowingly comatose while lying in the bed. She still hadn't budged even an inch in the hours that had slowly ticked by, and neither had I. I laughed at how stupid it all must have seemed, due to the fact that she would probably still think of me as a stranger when she woke up. She might even be angry with me out of fear, since I would be the first face she would see, and she would be waking up in an unfamiliar place.

After Renesmee had fainted the second time, the Cullens had decided that it would be best to move her to their house so that they could watch her more closely. I had been the only one who had objected to the idea, citing the fear that she must have felt just by how close we had already tried to come to her. They were even planning on telling her the truth about her identity as a half-vampire.

If I were in her shoes, I would be terrified. Not that I wasn't terrified for her as she lay there unconscious anyway.

She finally rolled over, emitting a small moan. She was lying on her side now, facing me, with her arm extended out over the side of the bed, as if she was subconsciously asking me to hold her hand. Of course, I knew she wasn't, but that didn't stop me from wanting to gently latch onto it anyway. It had been too long since I had been this close to Renesmee Cullen, and the only thing I had wanted to do for years was to be near her, to talk to her, to see what she was thinking.

Now was my chance.

I grabbed her hand, and pressed it against my face. I was nearly thrown off by the familiar rush of images that flooded my brain. Her dream was set in a large forest, which I immediately recognized to be located just outside of Forks Washington, the place which had once been our home. Rare sunlight seeped through the treetops illuminating this strange world as she walked slowly through the woods.

She had her arms extended, her fingertips grazing the bark of the trees as she passed them. "Renesmee!" A voice called. I flinched as I recognized the voice, even though I knew it wasn't really there.

She turned, and looked in the direction the voice was coming from. Her eyes met a figure coming up the hill. "There you are," The voice, which I now realized belonged to the encroaching figure spoke, "Please don't run off like that!" She chided, "Someone might discover that we're here,"

Renesmee nodded, and the figure came into full view. I gasped mentally when I realized that it was Bella. In the flesh, looking the same as ever. I wish I could see how old Renesmee had been in this dream, or if it had been real. It was hard to tell, even when watching through her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Momma," She told Bella, who scooped her up into her arms. Renesmee then pressed her hand against her mother's sparkling cheek, showing her the beauty of the obscure world she had just been exploring. She had been fascinated by the way that everything still appeared to be green, even when partially blanketed by snow.

"It's pretty," Bella agreed, and faked a smile. She let Nessie back onto her feet, so that she could talk business with her. Renesmee could sense that there was something wrong, and awaited her mother's explanation. "Renesmee," Bella spoke slowly, "As you know, we were not supposed to have left the clearing."

Renesmee nodded, but I could imagine that the expression on her face reflected her worry. She reached up to touch her mother's cheek once again, this time showing her images of each of her family members, of me and my pack, of all who had come to fight. _Are they okay? _She asked in her silent way, as tears began to fall down her cheeks.

Bella bit her lip, unsure, but nodded anyway. "Yes," She said quietly, "They will be okay,"

Nessie was silent, as she looked down at her muddy shoes, the ones which I had tied for her not hours earlier even though she had been completely capable. That was the thing about Nessie. As intelligent as she was, she did not like to miss out on acting childish while she could still get away with it.

"No one knows that we're okay," Bella tried to explain, "And we need to keep it that way, or the Volturi will come back."

Nessie sat down on a nearby rock, as she tried to make sense of her confusion. "How will we do that?" She asked in an accidentally indignant tone. She was terrified now. "There's no way they won't be able to find us," She was crying now as she brought her hand back up to her mother's cheek once again. _What about Dad? _She asked, _What about Jacob? Do they know we're alive? _

She knew the answer to that, and wept over it into her mother's shoulder. When she pulled away, Bella decided to continue. "You know how much I love you," She told a sobbing Renesmee, who had replied with a vigorous nod.

Bella took a deep breath now. "This is perhaps the hardest thing I have done in my life," She told her daughter, "But in order for you-for us-to survive, something drastic needs to be done,"

"Momma," Renesmee asked, now wiping her eyes, "What are you talking about?"

"You understand how the Volturi has the ability to find us quickly when we are together," She reminded her daughter, who agreed with her unwillingly. "They will not be able to find us nearly as well when we are apart,"

To Bella's surprise, and mine alike, Renesmee only nodded once, and sat back against a nearby tree, digesting the information.

Just as she opened her mouth to reply, the vision vanished, and I was jolted back into my normal consciousness by a blood curtling scream. I opened my eyes to watch the hand I had been holding being torn out of mine. I stepped back, as Renesmee sat up and quickly moved to the opposite side of her bed.

_"What. Are. You. Doing. Here?" _She asked, scared out of her mind, "Where the hell am I?" For a girl who had woken up in a strange school a decade ago, she was not handling this well.

I turned my head to see that Edward was just as startled as I was, and also, that thankfully the questions had been directed at him as well. _Did you see what she was dreaming about? _I asked him via my inner monologue.

He nodded once, just like his daughter had in her dream.

_Do you think it really happened? _

**A/N: So this chapter's POV was Jacob. Last chapter was Renesmee. Let me know what you think, and also, since I'm curious: where you think this story is going. Like with all of my fanfics, I have already mapped out where this entire story is going from beginning to end, and I like to keep them unpredictable. I just want to see how everyone is percieving them. Thank you so much for reading and letting me know! :) **


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Hey guys, It's me again with a new chapter. (I didn't want to leave you guys on that cliff for too long!) I really hope you like this chapter, as I put a lot of thought into how it would go down. **

Fifteen.

There they were, The Cullen Family. They were all seated at the large mahogany table in what seemed to be an extremely underused dining room. I assumed that they probably had another one which they preferred, since they lived in a mansion. They looked stately and business-like, as they watched Edward and Jacob lead me into the room, and show me where to sit.

It was no secret how terrified and confused I was at this moment. Sure, I'd woken up in weird places surrounded by strangers before, but this was different. I guess what startled me the most was the familiarity of my surroundings. It wasn't the house, or the location of it (which was off the grid in the middle of the woods somewhere…despite how Alice had told me that her family lived in Chicago).

It was the objects…the piano in the corner of their living room, their cars, the mahogany table, and they themselves that made me feel uneasy, and I'm sure that they could sense that. I took a deep breath before I pulled the wooden chair out from underneath the table, and sat down.

Everyone was still and silent as they could be for the first few, painful moments. It was as though they hadn't made an agenda for their own meeting. Impatiently, I spoke for them. "Why did you bring me here?" I asked quietly, innocently, curiously.

They all seemed to brace themselves, as they looked to Edward and then Carlisle, who spoke. "We believed that it was the best decision for you," He explained to me with his calm demeanor. He looked to Edward then, and they held each other's eyes for a moment, almost as though they were conversing, before Edward gave what seemed like a nod of agreement.

Carlisle continued. "Vanessa," He spoke, drawing my attention back to him in a kind way. As much as I hated being called that name, there was no way I could be angry with this man, and I had no idea why. "Have you noticed that you are different?"

I swallowed nervously, and then swept my hair behind my ears. "W-well, y-yes," I spluttered, confused at how he would have been able to guess that I had always felt like I was an outsider, even though I was one of the most liked students in my school.

He nodded in confirmation. "Your heartbeat is irregular," He listed, "You are stronger than most. You don't eat most food," I nodded, speechless, with my eyes wide, wondering how they could know me so well after only meeting me three days or so ago. "Have you ever had insomnia? Or felt some sort of strange power in your hands?"

My jaw dropped. He was dead on, with all of it. How could he have known all of these things about me? These were my deep dark secrets which I had never told anyone. I gulped before I replied, ensuring that I could formulate an entire coherent sentence. "H-how do you know all of these things about me?" I asked all of them, "We've only met three days ago…" I reminded them. I shook my head, and closed my eyes as I could feel the beginning stages of my episode coming on again.  
>I took a deep breath, and focused on other thoughts as the feelings faded. I thanked my lucky stars that it was just a fluke, for now at least.<p>

They all looked to each other, as if afraid to continue. I could have laughed at the level of tension in this room, and the fact that it was all because of me. It was funny how I held some sort of importance to people who I barely knew.

Suddenly, Edward gently grasped my hand with both of his, causing me to make eye contact with him. "Vanessa," He said quietly, "We need to tell you the truth. Please promise us you will not freak out,"

I shook my head again, "I don't understand," I told him.

He continued anyway. "Your name is not Vanessa," He told me, and I could feel my breath catch, "It is Renesmee. And we are your real family,"

"_What?" _I exclaimed, tearing my hand away from his, and sitting back in my chair in utter horror. "W-why?" I asked the entire Cullen family incoherently, "Why would you give me up?"

It was Jacob's turn now. "We didn't," He muttered from the other side of me, "You were taken from us. We thought you were dead," He explained.

"Dead?" I asked, my high levels of anxiety showing through, "I mean, I was shot and left in an elevator once, but I was still alive. Why didn't you check to see if I was alive?"

"We did check, as thoroughly as we could," Edward explained, "This was before you had been…shot" He had a noticeable difficulty saying that I had been shot. "We believe were being hidden from us, as well as a group who had already supposed to have killed you,"

"I'm confused," I said bluntly, "Why would this all happen?"

"Renesmee," I flinched when Carlisle used my real name, but somehow knew that it sounded right. It was way better than being called 'Vanessa' anyway. "The reason why we know that you are abnormal is not just because we are your real family," I sat there in awe, swallowing his words like pills, hoping that they would help me know who I am, and remember my past. "But because we are abnormal as well,"

"I-I still don't understand," I told him.

Edward spoke again, "Please promise you won't lose control when we tell you the truth. Please do not judge us, we are only trying to do what is best for you,"

"I don't judge," I assured him, "And unexpected is my thing. Always has been." I affirmed.

Carlisle half-smiled at me from across the table, with worry in his eyes. "Renesmee," He said again, but this time I didn't flinch. "The reason you have never thought of yourself to be normal is because you are a very unique being. There are very few people," I noticed that he used the word 'people' very loosely, "on this Earth who share your characteristics. In fact, at the time of your birth, the thought of someone like you was unheard of, and this was threatening for some. A large group of powerful _people _were sent here to try to kill you, for fear of the unknown. We had been told by these… _people…_that you and your mother had been cornered and killed," He saw me flinch at the word _killed. _"We looked for you, in denial at first, but it became too painful after a while. Little did we know," He said, smiling now, "That you had been alive all along…"

I brought my hand to my now throbbing temple. "W-why were they trying to kill me?" I blurted out quickly, in my confusion. I watched the seven pairs of eyes of my supposed relatives darting between Carlisle and I as if we were in a tennis match. "What am I?" I asked in a tone which inadvertently sounded disgusted.

"You are what we refer to as a hybrid," He told me, and I could feel my face scrunch up in confusion. "You are half of what your mother was when she carried you, human, but you are also half vampire,"

"Are you kidding me?" I asked in a monotone voice, though I was more afraid that I believed him.

Carlisle shook his head, still smiling compassionately, before his face turned serious. "That is what we are," He informed me, "We are vampires," He said, and when I was too awestruck to reply, he continued. "We are infinitely stronger than humans, both in physicality, and our mental and sensory capacities. We don't eat, sleep or age. Historically, it had been believed that we could not conceive children, but you were an exception,"

"Are you all-right?" Edward asked me, clearly worried about my sanity. I took a deep breath and nodded back at him.

"I guess I kind of always expected something weird like this to happen to me," I surmised. The room was silent, as if there was more. "Am I still missing something?" I asked awkwardly.

The family nodded collectively. I waited for a moment, and then it happened like I scene straight out of a Star Wars movie. Edward turned to me and said: "Renesmee, I am your father."

**A/N: As you can probably tell, this was Renesmee's (No, not Vanessa's :p) POV! :) Let me know what you think! And let me know your thoughts on where you think this is going. I'd love to hear what you have to say! -Sarah**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Hey guys, here's a new chapter! I've been hearing a lot about incorporating Bella into this. Be patient... She will come in her own time. I have epic things planned for each character in the future, but right now they're still being worked out. In the meantime, please enjoy this chapter, and let me know how I did!**

Sixteen.

When I had revealed that I was her father, Renesmee was certainly surprised, but it was short lived. Her eyes narrowed, and it was clear that she was thinking thoughts that I yearned to be able to hear. "If you're my dad…" She mused, "Then where is my mom?"

The room was silent again. Even Jacob stopped his breathing upon hearing that question. My expression softened as I lost my composure, and my hope. "We were hoping that you would know," I told her quietly, "You were the last to have seen her,"

She sat back in her chair, silently defeated. "I wish I could remember," She told us quietly. Jake squeezed her shoulder reassuringly, which strangely, she didn't seem to object to. "It's just that I can't seem to remember much of anything before I ended up at Hall… I can only see bits and pieces, like they're blocked off by a kind of transparent shell. But if I try too hard to make sense of the memories, it feels like I'm being snapped with an elastic band, and I end up fainting…"

"Wait a second," Jasper suddenly spoke, and soon all eyes were on him. "Bella is a shield," He reminded us, "Perhaps she is the reason why Renesmee cannot remember who she is,"

And suddenly, it all made perfect sense to me, or at least I thought it did. Somehow Bella and Renesmee escaped the Volturi, and in order to hide Renesmee, Bella must have somehow found a way to shield her from her own memories. It was genius. It had saved Renesmee's life, but had it saved Bella's as well?

I shuddered, oddly anxious because of the uncertainty. No one spoke. Renesmee's face twisted in confusion. "So you're saying that my mother is the reason why I can't remember anything?" She cocked her head to the side, and I imagined her thoughts racing around.

I nodded slightly at her, listening to the reactions of the rest of our family members. Rosalie was just thinking about herself, as per usual, so I didn't stay tuned to her for too long. Emmett was excited that Renesmee knew the truth, and was also excited from hearing of her reputation as a trickster and president of the improv comedy club. Jasper was trying to figure out why the Volturi would let my wife and daughter free, and Carlisle was trying to predict the reaction they will have when they find out that Renesmee had survived. Esme, looking adoringly at Renesmee, was admiring how much she had grown, and how she resembled me in particular. Alice was racking her brain trying to see Bella's future, and she felt as though she was hitting a wall.

Wait a second.

It was a transparent wall, like Renesmee had described. And once she began to view images… "Ouch!" She exclaimed, after she had felt the sensation of being snapped by a rubber band…

Renesmee's eyes bulged in fear. "What's going on?" She asked as a reflex.

I turned to her. "You said that whenever you try to remember your past you feel like you are being snapped with a rubber band just before you faint, correct?"

Slowly, she nodded once. "Y-yeah," She said, and shuddered.

Finally, I knew that things did in fact make sense now. I tried to explain. "Renesmee," I said in a calm, soft voice, "Some of us in our family have unique gifts," I began and she just stared at me, "Jasper can influence the emotions of anyone in his vicinity. Alice can see the future, and I can read minds," Her mouth fell open after I'd said that one.

"No way," She laughed nervously, "There's no way that can be true,"

"It is," I told her, "As a matter of fact, you have a gift of your own. When you were little you used to use your hands to communicate by conveying your thoughts through touch," She gripped her right hand and brought it to her chest, while gasping, and that is how I knew that she was still somewhat conscious of her gift. "Your mother had a gift as well," I segued into the main point, "She is what is known as a shield."

"A shield," She repeated uneasily.

I nodded and continued. "Your mother had the ability to cast something force-field-like over people, and sometimes things." I said, "And the shield was elastic, just like you are describing."

She took a second to process this before replying with something I never expected her to say. "So, if she is shielding my thoughts," She inferred diplomatically, "She has to be alive, doesn't she?" I was completely taken aback by the way her eyes lit up when speaking of her mother, and the way she accepted all of this information so quickly.  
>The rest of the family was taken aback by the realization which had just been made.<p>

Bella was alive.

I smiled, and felt as though a weight had been taken off of my shoulders.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing! This was in Edward's POV. **


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Hey everyone, I'm sorry that It's been a while. I'm sure you'll enjoy the fact that I made this chapter twice as long, though! Let me know what you think!**

Seventeen.

"How much longer do I have to keep my eyes closed?" I asked Melissa as she steered me blindly down the halls of our Residence Building. She'd already inadvertently pushed me into a wall twice, and apologized profusely for each occasion.

"Not much longer," She told me, as she used my shoulders to direct me down another hallway, to the left of us where we were headed previously. I heard an elevator ping, and knew instantly where I was.

My fists clenched. "If you put me in an elevator I will kill you, Mel," I said seriously, through my teeth. "I mean it,"

To this, she just laughed. "Geez, V, no need to be paranoid," She replied and forced me to walk left. After approximately sixteen steps, we stopped, and she knocked on the door. I began to open my eyes just a sliver, and she slapped my shoulder. "Hey!" She exclaimed, "No peeking!" Mel covered my eyes with her hands now.

I heard the door creak open, and slowly but surely, I was ushered inside. "On three you can look," She told me, "One… Two… _Three…" _

I opened my eyes slightly, and saw that I was in the large banquet hall on the third floor. Not long after my eyes had opened, there was a collective shout. "Surprise!" The packed room shouted. I noticed there were streamers hanging all over the walls, and balloons, and a projector screen was pulled down and there were pictures of my friends and I plastered all over it.

My jaw dropped. I found myself trying to say words, but not being able to let any of them out. "O-oh my God," I finally mustered, "M-mel, you know I don't like surprises," I told her in a small voice. I could feel my face turning red.

Mel shrugged and smiled. "I know," She said, beaming, "Consider this payback for _my _birthday,"

I grimaced. Her birthday hadn't nearly been this well-planned out. Literally, on Mel's birthday we had just taken a weekend long road trip to the middle of nowhere camped out, and had a cookout with contraband alcohol. Now this…this was blown way out of proportion. Especially since with everything going on lately, I'd forgotten that today was September 13th… my 18th birthday.

Ben and Amy came to my side, "Hey V!" Ben said, beaming, "We haven't seen you in a while… we thought you died!" Amy slapped him in the arm after saying that, and sent him a menacing glare. "What? It was a joke!"

I smiled, and sighed. These were my best friends, but there was no way that I would ever tell anyone about the 5 days I spent at the Cullen house… and not just because they told me not to. I think that my being part vampire wouldn't go over very well with my friends. It's still not going over very well with me, as much as I try to seem like it didn't freak me out or surprise me at all. I mean, I tried drinking blood the other day. And I _liked_ it.

"Yeah," Mel said quietly, "Where were you for the past week, V?" I froze.

It was almost too much of a coincidence that Edward swooped in at that very moment. "Hello, everyone," He greeted my friends cordially. I eyed him skeptically, wondering why he would be here. As far as anyone knew, my biological family didn't consist of social butterflies. "Happy birthday, Nessie," He told me. I almost flinched at the sound of my new…well, new to my crappy memory… nickname.

"Thanks," I said quietly, and when my chattering friends had disappeared, I turned to him. "You knew about this, didn't you?" I said in a monotone voice, which was almost a groan.

He grinned. "If I had told you, you wouldn't have come," He informed me, "Your mother was the same way."

I swallowed as worry swept over me, worry about my mother, wherever she might have gone to protect me, and also guilt. I felt guilty because I wish I remembered the woman who brought me into the world eighteen years ago today…

Emmett joined us, by lightly putting his arm around my shoulder. When I say lightly, I mean for him. He nearly knocked me over. "Hey kid," He greeted. Over the last few days I'd come to accept that my name would probably always be Kid to Emmett. "How does it feel to be another year older?" He asked this in a joking manner, as if to poke fun at my humanity.

I laughed and shrugged. "I forgot it was my birthday today, to be honest," I told Emmett and Edward, who seemed surprised about this fact initially, but understood. "I'm just glad to finally be a legal adult," I admitted.

Emmett chortled, "Excited about those scratch tickets and cigarettes are we?" He asked me, with a wide, comical grin.

I smiled in response, but also shook my head. "No," I replied, "I'm glad that I'm finally 18 because maybe this will be the year my former foster parents leave me alone…"

I was about to go on a tirade, but it was interrupted by a loud screech coming from the speakers at the front of the room. After flinching, I looked up to see Mel at the front of the banquet hall, holding a microphone. "_Oh no,"_ I said aloud, and this seemed to amuse Emmett and Edward.

"Ben, will you hit the lights?" She asked, and suddenly the lights turned out, drawing attention to the projector screen. "V, will you come up here?" She asked, and reluctantly I obeyed. Anxiety brewed in my stomach as I realized that all eyes were on me. I stood beside her, waiting for her to speak, and I swear she waited just to make me anxious.

"I have had the pleasure of knowing V Madison for the past ten years," She told the full room, "Nine of those ten years we shared a room here at Hall," She explained, "And I could not have asked for a better roommate, or a better friend, than you, V," She was now facing me, and I could feel tears welling up in my eyes. "So, with the help of our friends, Ben and Amy, and your new roommate, Alice, we threw you this party to celebrate your last birthday here at Hall," She smiled, "And we also compiled this video of pictures and blackmail videos from over the years,"

My jaw dropped as the music began. "Mel!" I shouted, "Seriously, you guys, you really didn't have to…"

Mel turned the music up purposely, to interrupt my complaints. I decided to give in and watch the video. The song was one of my favorites- Hand in my Pocket by Alanis Morissette. There were pictures of me ranging from the third grade, when I was in a talent show, to prom, to the last Improv Comedy Show of last year. Every now and then, the music would cut out, and there would be an embarrassing video of me such as: the time when I decided to slide down the hallway in my socks when I was nine and slid into the principal, the time when I jumped off of the swings at the park and fractured my arm, and when I learned to drive for the first time.

It wasn't until the end of the video when I realized that I was crying. The partygoers applauded, and Mel handed me the mic, after saying "Let's hear your thoughts on that, V,"

I turned to face my friends… and my family. I could see Jacob lingering alone in the corner. Edward and Emmett had now joined Rosalie on the left wall. Jasper and Alice were standing in the center of the room, where Alice had just been socializing. I took a deep breath. "Wow," was all I could say initially, which apparently was funny to a lot of people.

"Thank you," I blurted, "Thank you to all of you." I laughed at how sloppy my speaking skills were, but continued anyway. "I don't know what to say, really, except that I know for a fact that I would not be the same person if I hadn't come here to Hall ten years ago. This place, or rather, you people, have shaped who I am, and for that I don't think I could be any more grateful." I paused, and watched closely as the door at the back of the hall opened, letting just enough light to see the silhouette of a girl slip inside and close the door behind her.

I watched the expression on my biological father's face, twist from confusion, to alarm, to relief. Then I watched as my family began to drift toward the back of the room. This made me nervous, and quite frankly, scared me a little. "Uh…" I stammered, "S-so thank you guys, infinitely. I didn't expect this at all," I continued, "S-so please enjoy the party," I said, and gingerly handed Mel the microphone.

"Are you okay?" She asked me.

"Uh, yeah," I attempted to lie, "Why?"

"You seem… terrified," She told me honestly. I disregarded her comment, and looked toward the congregation of my family members forming in the back of the room as the music began to play. I noticed that Jacob had now joined them.

"E-excuse me for a sec," I told her, and then walked toward my family, dodging everyone who had greeted me with a Happy Birthday, as politely as I could. When I had finally reached them, they'd formed a tight circle, and I had to tap on Jacob's shoulder to see what was going on.

"What's going on?" I shouted at him over the music, and then my family conveniently parted so that I could see who the mysterious party crasher was. I was hit with the crushing blow that was familiarity, but for some reason, I didn't feel as though I was about to faint.

She had long brown hair to her waist, and golden eyes. She was dressed in street clothes, so she stood out from the rest of us, who had just come out of classes two hours ago. She smiled at me, and my eyes narrowed. She motioned for me to follow her. Despite my fear, I obeyed.

Edward followed us out into the hallway. "I'm not letting either of you out of my sight again," He announced valiantly.

The party crasher ignored him, and looked at me. She put her hands on my shoulders and looked into my eyes. "I know you don't remember me," She said in her familiar, beautiful voice, "And that is my fault," She explained, "But I can make you remember," She told me.

"H-how?" I stammered, but she continued before I could finish a sentence.

"You don't remember this," She reminded me, "But this is what happened to us." She began to explain. "When you were born, you were a mystery. We didn't know of anyone who shared your same… characteristics," She chose her words carefully, "And this terrified the Volturi, who are our ruling family. They came after us," She paused as I swallowed, to let me take that in for a minute, "And they cornered us, to have us killed."

"But the guards who were supposed to have carried out the deed, did not believe that we should be killed, and they let us free, on the condition that we would hide, and that I would shield their thoughts in order to cover up the fact that they had let us free, but also to hide the fact that they were planning a revolt against Aro, Caius and Marcus, the three rulers." I noticed that Edward was listening as intently as I was now.

"We tried to hide together, but it was too conspicuous. I figured that our scents would be too strong if they were together," She explained, realizing that I didn't understand, "So I made what was perhaps one of the hardest decisions of my life, and I shielded your memories, and gave you up, and sent you to your first home, with Mrs. Doherty."

I didn't remember being with anyone named Mrs. Doherty, so I was anxious for her to continue.

"But I didn't think about what would happen when Mrs. Doherty died," She said, "So you were sent into Foster care."

As much as I wanted to know the rest of my story, I could not hear any more information. I was bawling now. The stranger removed her hands from my shoulders, and looked to Edward sympathetically, as Edward tried to process this new information.

"S-so," I cried, "Y-you're Bella," I assumed, "You're my mom?"

****

**A/N: I bet you know Renesmee's voice by now :) Please review and let me know what you think! **


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Let me start out by saying that if you are still reading this, you are the best. I am sorry that I didn't realize how long it had taken me to update. It has been a long 11 months, and I have gone through some of the hardest struggles of my life... but nevertheless, I have still thought a lot about this story and plan on continuing it. **

**I really hope you enjoy this, and please send me your feedback! **

Chapter 18.

The party had ended nearly 4 hours ago, but the excitement still lingered. The difference was, instead of taking place in a crowded banquet hall full of sweaty teenagers, the new party had moved to the Cullen house, and the word excitement more closely resembled anxiety. I sat slumped over the arm of the gigantic, pristinely clean couch in the living room of the mansion, with Jacob by my side. I sighed, as I listened to the hushed arguments coming from the surrounding rooms, which my family members probably assumed that I couldn't hear.

Me, and my memory (or lack thereof) was the hot topic of the night.

Jacob, somehow sensing my distress, touched my shoulder with his hand in a comforting gesture. I shuddered, since I'd always had issues with this type of kindness. He pulled his hand away, and we made eye contact. "Are you all right?" He asked me quietly.

I shrugged. "I guess I am," I said, smirking, "Considering that I'm an orphaned or-_formerly_ orphaned-vampire with an outrageously terrible memory on the top of some monarchy's hit list, I'm great." The sarcasm rolled off of my tongue effortlessly.

Jacob massaged his forehead with his hand, clearly at a loss for words. I think my angst caught him off guard. I assumed that he was just taking it all in. I wondered if he ever had to deal with something like this. I wondered why he even cared so much, or why he was even here in the first place. It was made abundantly clear to me that he _wasn't _a vampire, and he _definitely wasn't _related to me. So why would he still hang around? Didn't he have somewhere better to be?

With Jacob stunned, there was nothing left to do but eavesdrop on my parents' conversation with Carlisle in the kitchen. Bella, or my mom, technically, thought that there was a way that I could get my memory back. She said that she knew how. Edward, who clearly trusted her 120 percent, expressed how he would prefer for me to have my memory back. Well, duh. However, Carlisle had concerns. He worried that having such a resurgence of memory might mess my mind up more than it already was.

I rolled my eyes, and slumped down further on the couch, hardly noticing when Alice and Jasper entered the living room. Sheepishly, I waved to them.

"How are you holding up?" Alice asked with a smile, while sitting in the armchair across the way. Jasper stood beside her, looking at me sympathetically. Of course, he already knew that I was a nervous wreck.

"That depends on what you mean by _holding up," _I responded with an edge of humor in my tone. Idly, I wondered how my true family perceived me, since they all seemed to be taken aback by my dry wit. Then, I remembered that they hadn't really met the real me, or rather the version of me I'd been for the past decade, yet. They'd only met the emotional wreck who went by one singular letter at the end of the alphabet.

After a moment of awkward silence, I answered Alice for real. "I'm doing okay," I said quietly, and honestly. "I'm just a little bit thrown off, you know?"

Both Alice and Jasper nodded. I continued. "I mean, I literally had no clue that this part of me actually existed," I didn't know where these emotional confessions were coming from, but I didn't hold them back. "I can't remember anything before I ended up at Hall. I'm not even sure I can believe anything I'm being told now, beside the fact that it explains a lot…" I sighed. "And now everyone is arguing about things pertaining who I apparently _used to be_," I paused. This was a new revelation for me. "And I'm just worried."

I'd almost forgotten that Jacob was seated next to me on the couch. "Why are you worried?" He asked gently, in a small voice. My Aunt and Uncle looked on, clearly interested. I tensed up when I realized that the arguments from the other rooms had suddenly halted.

I took a deep breath. "I'm worried that regaining my memory won't magically fix everything," I admitted quietly, staring down at my hands. "I feel like there are two parts of me, like I'm two different people. In a way, I _am _Renesmee, but I can't remember who Renesmee is. The person I know myself as is Vanessa Madison." The entire house was eerily silent. I wondered if saying this hurt them. "I guess what I'm saying is that I'm afraid that these two parts of me are just completely different. I'm afraid that if I try to become both of them at once, I won't know who I am anymore."

Silence.

No one knew the answer to this dilemma, and that was becoming increasingly more clear to me as the minutes ticked on without even a breath from anyone but Jacob or I who required them. It was a hard realization for all of them to come to. I wasn't Renesmee Cullen. Not right now, at least. I was Vanessa Madison, the girl who ended up at a boarding school in Chicago, and always had been, as far as I knew.

Was it possible to be two things at once? Apparently, I was human and vampire at the same time, something that previously wasn't thought possible, according to the brief explanation my biological parents had given me. But was it possible to be Renesmee and Vanessa simultaneously?

Edward and Bella had entered the room while I was deep in thought. I sat up straight when I realized that they were standing before me. They looked at me sadly, like I really had died the day that my mother and I had run from the Volturi.

"I heard your conversation," I told them bluntly, but still gracefully. I had no idea where this sudden bravery had come from. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but it was about me, so I was listening." Their expressions remained the same. "I don't want you to think that I don't care enough to want to remember you all." I looked around and noticed that the rest of the family was filtering into the room. I looked around at all of their faces, wishing that I could truly recognize them. "I really wish I could tell you who I was before I ended up at Hall, but the truth is that I don't know if I'm even the same person anymore. That is what terrifies me."

"Understandably so," Carlisle said, and at that moment I realized that he agreed with me. Suddenly I felt this rush of pride and admiration, and also a sort of pain in my forehead. Was this me remembering the way I once looked at the man who was technically my grandfather? "There is no debating whether you have changed or not, Renesmee," When he called me that name, chills ran up my spine. He smiled apologetically. "However, it may be useful to you to know who you used to be. It might solve a lot of your frustration if you were able to put all of the pieces together."

I couldn't argue with that. "You're right," I said after a moment, and then swallowed. "But it's a huge risk. What if I don't come out the same?" I asked.

"Well, that's simple," Jacob replied from next to me. "You won't." His blunt response only made me more anxious.

It was Rosalie's turn for input. I'd almost forgotten she was there until she loudly scoffed at Jacob. "You're scaring her, dog!" She exclaimed. Jacob rolled his eyes as if he was used to the slur.

My eyes narrowed in confusion. Would the old me have understood that reference? Why was she calling him a dog with such spite? Was that supposed to be some sort of profound insult that I just didn't understand? I laughed awkwardly as my face turned red, as a coping mechanism. "There's definitely a lot that I can't grasp," I observed out loud.

"It can be explained to you," Edward said quietly, and firmly. "We aren't telling you that you have to try to get your memory back," I realized that we were all speaking about this as if I was about to undergo some life-threatening surgery. It was like I had a memory blocking brain tumor that just needed to go.

"Thank you," I said, my mind was racing. I pictured years and years of inside references that I just couldn't understand. I imagined how much of a burden I would be, having to be filled in on every little thing. I couldn't, wouldn't do it. It would be too hard for everyone, and I really just wanted to know my real family. They intrigued me.

I turned to Bella, who was my mother. The one who did this to me for my own safety. The one who saved my life.

We locked eyes for a moment. "I trust you," I told her. "If you say you can bring my memories back, please tell me what I can do to help you."


End file.
